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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22722562">ActiveX 2</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demona3870/pseuds/Demona3870'>Demona3870</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>ReBoot (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:07:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>27,119</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22722562</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demona3870/pseuds/Demona3870</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>While renovating the Diner, Dot finds a piece of her past she hadn’t known was missing…</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bob/Dot Matrix (ReBoot)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Box</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This story takes place after Gigabyte but will continue as an Alternate Reality (AR).  It will not roll into “Trust No One”, the Web Wars, the battle with Daemon, or My Two Bobs.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Dot</span>
</p><p>Dot sneezed for the umpteenth time.  She growled, swiping at the dust and cobwebs tickling her nose.  Had it really been so long since she’d last gone in there?  Judging by the thick layer of dust on the box before her, yes.  Of course, she’d wanted to go through this stuff hours ago.  And life happened.</p><p>But not this second.  No, this was the hour the Diner would begin renovation.  Expansion, to be more accurate.  Dot smiled at the thought.  Mainframe was becoming a hot port for tourists, and the Diner was booming.  It was time for the Diner to grow, too.  She’d officially closed the doors last cycle and had been going through all the loose junk second by second.  </p><p>Eventually landing her there, in the cellar’s spare storage closet, and spare was putting it nicely.  She’d locked the room so long ago she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been in it.  And now that she was there, she wished having the forethought to bring a surgical mask.</p><p>She could have blown down the room and waited 24 microseconds before pressing forward.  But in typical Dot fashion, she persisted.  And sneezed again, hard enough to knock her off balance.  She pinwheeled back, the plastic shelves breaking her fall.  </p><p>“Oh, thank the User-ack!”  The world went black, an open box landing squarely on her head.  Various objects clattered at her feet.  Dot winced, hoping nothing broke, and winced harder at the voice through the door.</p><p>“Any survivors?”</p><p>Dot pulled the box up over her eyes.  “At least one,” she quipped and gestured around her, “The scene of the crime remains to be determined.”</p><p>Bob stepped forward, his voice grim.  “It appears to be a classic case of hoarding gone so, so wrong, and you hate to see that happen.”</p><p>“I am not a hoarder.”  She tossed the box behind her, knocking a second box down on her head.  Dust sprayed everywhere.  </p><p>“Clearly,” Bob laughed.  He looked around, running a hand across the top of a box and grimacing.  “What have you been keeping in here for so long?”</p><p>“My exes.”  Bob’s eyes widened, and Dot pressed forward with an evil grin.  “I wouldn’t breathe too deeply, or you’ll be taking them home with you.”</p><p>“Argh!” Bob shook his hand rapidly.  “Dot, you’re nasty.”</p><p>“And joking, you dipswitch.”  She rolled her eyes and pushed him out of the room.  “I’m fine, thanks for checking, now get out.”</p><p>“Don’t you want help?”  He eyed the room over his shoulder.  “You’ll be stuck here all second, and breathing this stuff will get you sick.”</p><p>“No, I don’t want your help, and if I get sick, well good, I could use a sick second now and then,” she answered, pushing him harder out the door.  </p><p>“You’re a strange one, Dot Matrix.”</p><p>“You are who you hang with,” she muttered.</p><p>“Yep-hey!”</p><p>“Out!”  She gave a final push and closed the door, smiling at the mumbled response.  Victory achieved.  She turned around triumphantly - and questioned the validity of said victory.  With a heavy sigh, she pushed forward on her slow rummage into meters of old boxes…</p><p> </p><p>By the end of second, she had successfully created two piles: absolute junk and possible junk.  She had just reached the last box when the door creaked open.  Dot looked up to see a hovering carton of food, the smell of a double burger from Al’s hitting her like a gut punch.  Her stomach roared in response.  Bob’s head poked around the door, his eyes wide.</p><p>“Was that you?”  </p><p>“That was my stomach saying thank you.”  She leaned back and groaned, her hand pressing into the small of her back.  “Oh, User, I can’t be as old as I feel right now.”</p><p>Bob brought the box under her nose.  He smirked as she lunged for the food, lifting the box high for good measure.  “Nah, I think you’re fine.”  </p><p>Dot glared and went on her tiptoes, half mad at his immediate denial of her sustenance and half grateful for the extra stretch.  Her fingers grazed the box when he pulled away and bounced toward the door.  “Hey, bring that back!”</p><p>“No way you’re eating in this dust pit.  It’s time to call it a night.  You need to eat,” he paused for an exaggerated sniff, “and you need a bath.”</p><p>“I do not stink!” </p><p>Bob had the graciousness to look around the room.  “Yes, I’m sure that’s just the mildew around here.”</p><p>Dot's lips pursed.  “Fine.  I have one more box and I’ll meet you upstairs.”</p><p>“It’ll be cold by then.  Come back in the morning.”</p><p>Dot shook her head.  “You know that’s not how I work Bob.  If I start something, I finish it.”</p><p>“Yes, I’ve seen how you eat.”  He ducked the dust pan with nanoseconds to spare.  “Seriously, Dot, it’s just one box.”</p><p>She sighed.  Looking down, she saw BEDROOM scribbled in her writing.  She hummed to herself and picked up the box.  It was small enough to fit on her hip comfortably and was light.  Inside she spotted a few digital frames and something fluffy.  She smiled.  “All right, let’s go.”</p><p>Bob’s eyes went up.  “You’re taking it with you?”</p><p>"This isn’t stuff from the Diner, it’s from my old apartment.  Must have gotten mixed up in the move.  Might be something valuable in here.”</p><p>Bob shrugged.  “Okay.  Let’s go, I’m hungry,” he said, already out the door and heading up the stairs to the dining area.</p><p>Her stomach growled again, and she laughed.  “Ditto.  Your place or mine?”</p><p>“Yours is closer.”</p><p>“Good call.”  She paused at the top of the stairs and looked around the dark and empty diner with a twinge of sadness.  All the furniture was out, the floors would be torn up tomorrow, and the walls would start coming down on the east side after the cycle-end.  Everything would be new, and Dot’s first version would be nothing more than a memory.  </p><p>“It’ll look great.”</p><p>Dot looked up at Bob, holding the front door open for her.  She gave a slight smile.  “I know, but…” she sighed.  “I’m just sorry to see the old girl go.”</p><p>“She’s not old,” Bob said with a laugh.  “She’s growing up, just like everyone else.”</p><p>“What are you talking about?” Dot said with her hands on her hips.  “You’re still processing at, like, 19.  And I’m forever 21.”</p><p>“Riiight.”  </p><p>“Don’t go dashing my hopes of eternal youth.”</p><p>He smiled.  “Wouldn’t dream of it.  But I will eat your fries,” he said and stole one out of the box.</p><p>“Hey!” she chased him out the door, barely remembering to turn and lock it.  “You better not drop those!” she called after him as he zipped away towards her temporary apartment on the edge of Baudway and Kits sectors.</p>
<hr/><p>“Where’s Enzo?” Bob asked as he set the food on the tiny kitchen nook.  </p><p>Dot walked over to the window and pulled back the curtain.  “He and AndrAIa are camping out tonight.”  She turned to him with big eyes.  “A meteor shower is supposed to come around, according to the science teacher.  AndrAIa’s never seen shooting stars before.”  She chuckled at his look.  “Phong is out there with Frisket.  I’m surprised he was okay with sleeping outside, but I’ve learned my lesson: never turn down a free sitter.”</p><p>Bob smiled.  “That’s good.”</p><p>She nodded and grabbed a fry.  She hummed in satisfaction.  “Still warm, yum.”</p><p>“Find anything interesting in your excavations?” Bob asked around a mouthful of food.</p><p>Dot made a face.  “Not really.  But I’m still sorting stuff out, see if I really need it.”</p><p>“You should just pitch it all.”</p><p>Dot shook her head.  “That’s wasteful.  There could be perfectly good stuff in there.”</p><p>“From the DOS ages?” Bob scoffed.  “Doubtful.”</p><p>“You’re calling me old again!”</p><p>Bob shook his head.  “That’s not true.  I never called you old in the first place.”  He smiled and bit into a fry.  “I’m crazy, not stupid.”</p><p>“I’ll give you that.”  She sighed.  “And you’re probably right.  If I don’t toss it now, it’ll end up in the new storage closet.” </p><p>“Take the leap,” Bob stage whispered, “free yourself from the junk of hours past!  You’ll thank yourself for it!”</p><p>“Speaking of taking a leap,” Dot leaned forward, grateful for a chance to change the subject, “What was this I heard about a promotion?”</p><p>Bob sat up straighter.  She smirked, and he shook his head.  He grabbed a fry and ripped it in two, stabbing the remaining end in her direction.  “You know way too much about everything, Ms. Matrix.”</p><p>“That’s my job, Mr. Guardian,” she said casually.  She rested her head in her hand and looked at him expectantly.</p><p>“Well, you already seem to know, you tell me!”</p><p>"I know Turbo wants to promote you for the outstanding work you’ve been doing in our little system.  I didn’t know Guardians had ranks, I thought you guys were pretty much all the same.  Except Turbo, of course.”</p><p>Bob shrugged.  “It’s nothing more than like leveling up in a game.  Just opens doors to larger, faster systems.”</p><p>Dot paused between bites.  “You’d have to leave then?”</p><p>“No.”  He looked at her.  “Did you want me to?”</p><p>“No!  I mean,” she started to turn pink, “not unless you wanted to.  You know, find bigger challenges and such.”</p><p>“Trust me, Dot,” he said, cleaning up his plate.  “I have enough challenges here.”</p><p>She smiled then frowned.  “Like what?”  When he looked at her, her heart sped up just a beat.  In a blink it was gone.  </p><p>“You know, we still have two viruses running around,” Bob answered.  “And we still don’t know what that creature was with Megabyte.”</p><p>“It’s been cycles since then.  Whatever it was is probably dead by now.”  </p><p>Bob shrugged.  “Can’t take the chance until I know for sure.”  </p><p>“…And that’s all?”</p><p>Bob chuckled.  “No.  There’s you.”  He took her empty plate and threw away the trash.  “Can’t let you become a certified hoarder, right?” </p><p>“I am NOT a hoarder-!”</p><p>Glitch beeped, and Bob paused.  “There’s a dispute down at the software store.”  His eyebrows shot up.  “Guess some of those new Nano-pads are catching fire.”  He gave her a wry smile.  “Sounds like the customers are a little ‘heated’.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes.  “Don’t quit your day job.”  She walked him to the door.  “Thanks again for dinner.”</p><p>“You’re welcome!  I’ll catch you in the morning.”  He hopped on his zipboard and sped off, giving one quick wave.</p><p>She watched him for a nano before closing the door.  </p><p>With Enzo out and Bob on call, the room was empty and quiet.  She walked to her MePod and pressed play.  Soft jazz filled the room and turned it cozy.  She stretched and felt her bones creak, sore muscles protesting the second’s abuse.  Leaning over all those boxes was clearly not beneficial to one’s neck.  She considered a shower but opted to simply sit, and gracelessly collapsed onto the couch with a groan.  A hand rubbed her eyes and she set her feet up on the coffee table.</p><p>Something fell to the floor.  Peeking out from under her hand, she saw the small box from the Diner.  Interest piqued, she sat up and pulled the box between her knees.  She pulled out the photos first, a sad smile breaking through as she saw Dad again; happy and full of life, as he always had been.  </p><p>As he always would be in her mind.  </p><p>She flipped quickly through pictures of Enzo growing up, surprised as how much he’d changed.  At first, he was the spitting image of their father… but Mom was coming through more and more each second.  Beneath the pictures were two tiny stuffed animals, the last gifts from both their parents at the holiday festivals, before the accident… She sighed and quickly set the pictures aside, not wanting to go too far down that memory lane.</p><p>At the bottom of the box she found old fashioned cassettes, a player, and colorful thumb drives.   She frowned until she read the names on the side.  “No way!”  The laughter burst from her and her tiredness washed away with excitement.  She flipped through ten or so cassettes, all with her elegant handwriting listing the names of her favorite songs as a kid.  Inside the thumb drives were some of her favorite movies growing up: The NeverEnding Story, Labryinth… and a video diary from her elementary school days!</p><p>She glanced at the chrono on the wall and sighed.  It would be a great trip down memory lane… but not right then.  She pulled a tape at random and plugged in the player, hoping it would work.  The tape wound slowly, a scratchy sound emitting from the speaker, and Tina Turner started belting, “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”  Dot squealed with joy.  </p><p>She turned the music up and hopped into the shower, rocking out to her childhood favorites, and laughing at some of the songs she couldn’t believe she’d liked.  Memories started pouring in as well: school dances and sleep overs, junior high crushes and bending Dad’s rules.  </p><p>It brought her joy - and sadness.  So many of those memories formed in the Twin City… and it’d been a long time since she’d thought about it.  She found it easiest just to press forward and let the painful memories stay in the past.  </p><p>Listening to the tape, it was a bittersweet journey.  One she looked forward to finishing… later.  She turned off the lights around the apartment and took another peak outside the window to the camp site below.  The lanterns were out and Frisket was sleeping peacefully beside Enzo’s tent.  Dot blew her brother a kiss good night and walked over to the tape player.  Her finger pressed on the stop button and hesitated.</p><p>
  <em>“I feel so unsure, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>as I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As the music dies, something in your eyes</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Calls to mind the silver screen</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And all its sad good-byes</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I’m never gonna dance again</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Guilty feet have got no rhythm</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Though its easy to pretend</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I know you’re not a fool</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Should’ve known better than to mistreat a friend</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And waste the chance that I’d been given</em>
</p><p>
  <em>So I’m never gonna dance again</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The way I danced with you”</em>
</p><p>Dot hit the button, silencing “Careless Whisper.”  She shook her head and entered her room.  She settled in bed and tried to think of something else, anything else… but the song had spoiled her evening.</p><p>And now with those lyrics cycling in her mind, spinning around that look Bob tried to hide, the memory came trickling back.  No matter how much she tried to forget, how hard she willed herself to forget, something would trigger it, and she’d long learned to stop fighting it.  </p><p>If only she had just gone home that night…</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Kiss</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Dot</span>
</p><p>
  <em>…The party was over.  The clean-up crew tore down the stages and stalls, trucking them away until the next big event.  As the binomes wrapped up, the foreman checked in with Dot for the clearance to call it a night.  She took a quick survey of the area.  Confetti, balloons, and banners covered the streets, but those could wait until the morning.  Everything else looked good, and she gave the thumb ups.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Always a pleasure, Ma’am,” he said with a smile.  “My crew is heading down to the Pub for an after party.  All drinks are on me for the first microsecond, a little tradition we have after any big events.  You and your friends are invited, being our best customer and all.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Dot chuckled.  “Thanks, George, but I’m beat.  I think I’ll have to take you up on that another time.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"The offer still stands.  Have a good night!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Thank you, you too.”  They shook hands and parted ways.  Dot turned and looked at the empty streets, the last few participants laughing and heading on their way home.  She supposed she should do the same.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Wow, those guys work fast!” Bob said, looking around the empty avenue. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Dot smiled and turned.  “That’s why they’re the best in the business!  How’s the Birthday Boy?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Passed out.  He didn’t wake once back to his bed.  I don’t even think a game cube could wake him up now.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“If only I could pull off this sort of thing every night, I’d be fully rested in a cycle,” she laughed.  “But thanks for carrying him.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“No problem.  You headed in now?”  He frowned at her hesitation.  “What?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She chuckled at herself.  “Oh, it’s nothing.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Yes, it’s something,” Bob replied in the same tone of voice.  “What’s up?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em> She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck.  “George invited me to an after-party with his crew at the Pub-.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Look at you, party animal!  Going all night long!” Bob teased.  He laughed as she started turning as red as her dress.  “No, seriously, you should go.  This was an amazing celebration; you’ve earned some time to enjoy yourself.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She turned in the direction of the Diner.  “Yeah, but I didn’t get anyone to watch Enzo.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I can do it.”  He caught the look Dot tried to hide.  “What?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She stopped and pressed her lips together.  “I was going to ask you to come with me.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Oh.” He didn’t know what to say after that.  But there was a hesitation in his eyes that made Dot backspace on her suggestion. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>She shook her head, tucking a strand of hair back as she tried to hide her embarrassment.  “Forget I mentioned it.  I’m pretty much the walking dead here anyway, I’ll catch the next one.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Or,” Bob said after a nano, “I can call in a favor with Ms. Markle.  I cleared out a giant null nest in her cellar the other second, and she insists on repaying me for it.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Dot looked at him.  “Really?  You’d want to go?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He shrugged.  “I get called in to break up a brawl, like, three nights a cycle.  So, if I’m gonna end up there anyway, might as well go with good company, right?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She watched him for a nano and started walking slowly back to him.  “If you don’t think she’ll mind, I’ll throw in a free meal for her, and you.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He grinned.  “Let’s find out.”</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>“… and that’s how I almost deleted climbing out of Turbo’s private office window, defying a 50-meter fall to my untimely demise.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Dot was holding onto her side, desperately trying to breath as Bob sipped his java.  “And… and he never knew it was you?”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Not a clue.  Turbo still has a bounty out for the cadet who taped airhorns to every chair in the admin offices.  I heard the look on his face when he sat in his was priceless.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Dot shook her head and sipped her wine.  “And here I always thought you were such a goody-two shoes.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bob shrugged.  “Just brave… and unwise.  I’m lucky I didn’t get caught, I would have been expelled for breaking and entering.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Dot blew a raspberry at him.  “Turbo’s always had a soft spot for you, I’m sure you would have been fine.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“He still didn’t really know me then.  I was just another recruit with big dreams and a bigger ego.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Was?”  She laughed harder at his side glance.  A server came by with a tray of chicken strips and sample glasses.  He placed the strips on the table.  Dot frowned.  “We didn’t order those.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Compliments of the owner, for the latest disturbance,” the waiter replied.  “Tonight’s special is half off Microsoft Mules.  Any takers?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Both shook their heads and the server left before Bob could say anything about the strips.  He looked at Dot and sighed.  “He does this every time I come here.  Want some?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“No thanks.  Are those your favorite?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He shrugged.  “I’ll let you know.  He never gives out the same thing twice.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Guess you’re pretty popular in these parts then.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Nah,” Bob said between bites, “just helped him out a few times, that’s all.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She looked at his cup of Java.  “And I’m guessing he hasn’t repaid you with high quality booze.  That’s a shame,” she teased.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“He tried.  I turned him down.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Not a drinker, I see.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I’m the only Guardian here.  Always on duty.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You mean you’re not allowed to.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He nodded.  “We live by a lot of rules.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Such as?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Oh, the usual.  No alcohol, no drugs, no gambling, no investments or personal ties with the Command.com.”  He saw her questioning look and chuckled.  “Conflict of interest and all.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Gosh, sounds like you can’t have any fun,” she teased.  “You can at least date, right?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He shook his head.  “Nope.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Really?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Like I said, always on duty.  No distractions.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Oh.”  She took a sip.  “That seems awfully lonely.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He shrugged.  “It’s only as long as we have the format.  It’s open season after retirement.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“And when is that?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I haven’t planned that far out yet.”  He tore into another chicken strip.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Dot watched him over her glass and tried to ignore the heaviness in her heart.  He was her best friend, after all.  That should have been enough.  The music kicked up behind them and patrons started jiving on the dance floor.  Bob watched with amusement. “Thanks for coming out with me.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He looked back at her with surprise “Of course!”  He frowned.  “You okay?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yeah,” she smiled.  “Just tired.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Want to head back?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She shook her head.  “Not unless you’re bored.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bob laughed.  “Have you seen the entertainment?” he gestured around the bar.  “Besides, I remember when you dyed your hair different colors and wore mini-skirts.  You’ve got a fun streak; I’m just waiting to see it come out.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Dot rolled her eyes.  “Oh, my punk phase.  It was just that: a phase.  And an embarrassing one, as I recall.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Can’t imagine why.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You don’t regret any self-expression in your youth?”  The wince was all the justification she needed.  “See?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Ok, point taken.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Besides,” she held up her glass of red wine, “I’m a ‘one and done’ kind of girl. This is as crazy as I’m gonna get.”  A fast beat picked up and the crowd cheered in excitement to a popular dance hit.  Dot looked at the crowd and back to Bob with a predatory smile.  “Although…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His smile fell away.  “What?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I do enjoy a good dance every now and then.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Oh, no,” Bob leaned back, arms up in a gesture of surrender, “no way.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Don’t tell me you can’t dance!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Remember that regret of self-expression?  Yeah, mine was thinking I had sweet dance moves.  Biggest embarrassment of my life.”   </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Dot laughed.  “Have you seen the “sweet moves” on display out there?” she thumbed the dance floor.  “No way you could be any worse than that.  Come on, live a little!  Take a chance.  I challenge you.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bob leaned forward.  “You say the words ‘Dance Off’ and I’m out.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You brought me here to lighten up.  You should do the same.  And since you can’t imbibe, you can still have some fun.”  She egged him on.  “No harm in one little dance.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I might regret it for the rest of my time in Mainframe,” he stalled.    </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Only one way to find out.”  She stood up next to him and held out her hand.  She wiggled her fingers in a “come hither” motion, her smile widening as she could see his resolve slipping.  She swayed to the music, swirling her floor length dress around her ankles.  The beat pulsed through the air and she snapped her fingers in time as her shoulders matched the rhythm.  “Come on.  Don’t you trust me?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bob closed his eyes and sighed.  He took her hand and followed her to the dance floor, a resigned expression on his face.  And then he spun her out and back, catching her by surprise, and it was on.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Dot lost track of how long they spent on the floor, but she loved every nano of it.  Bob’s smile was infectious, and her stomach hurt from laughing so much.  She was out of breath, sweaty, and her hair must have been a mess, but she was more relaxed than she could remember.  Bob had lied, though.  He was an excellent dancer, at least by her standards.  And he had given her a run for her money.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>She stayed up long as she could, but it’d been too many hours since she’d worn heels, and her throbbing feet called it quits.  She shook her head as a new song started.  Bob fist pumped the air and she turned away with an eye roll.  She searched for their table, the low lights and crowded floor disorienting her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Dot?” Bob called after her, trapped behind a mini mosh-pit.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Over here!  Need water!” she shouted back.  “Do you remember where our table is?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I think it’s there!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“That far?  I thought we were closer to the jukebox!”  She saw her glass of wine, Bob’s Java, and two tall glasses of water.  “Found it!”  She reached for the first glass, grateful the server had the forethought to leave them, and downed the contents in three quick gulps.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>It was already too late by the time Bob reached her.  “Dot, that’s not ours!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She coughed and sputtered as her esophagus burned.  “Shift!  I thought that was water!  What the Dell did I just drink?” Dot choked out.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bob looked around but didn’t see the table’s occupants.  He sniffed at the glass and shook his head.  “I think the largest shot of straight vodka I’ve ever seen.”  He looked at her in shock.  “Did you drink the whole thing?!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She groaned as she covered her eyes and leaned against the chair.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He threw some bitcoins on the table and touched her elbow.  “Come on, let’s get you home.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Agreed,” she replied.  When they got outside the pub, he pulled out his zipboard.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I don’t trust myself on that,” she said, feeling fuzzy.  She blinked a few times, surprised at how quickly the drink was getting to her.  “Wow, that must have been some crazy high proof shift,” she muttered.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yeah, you shouldn’t zip alone.  Come on.”  He held out his hand and helped her up.  He wrapped his arm around her waist and slowly buzzed them off towards the Diner.  She groaned and put her head in the crook of his neck.  It was more forward than she’d ever been, but the alcohol washed away any care she had for propriety.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I can’t believe I did that,” she mumbled, her words slow.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Neither can I,” Bob chuckled.  “You must have been dying of thirst.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Because you wore me out on the dance floor.  I blame this on you.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I warned you about the dancing.  You started it.”.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You lied to me,” she countered.  “You’re really good.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I was just following your lead; that makes you the talented one.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She smiled against his neck and felt her face warm.  “Maybe.  I can’t help but wonder what other secrets you’re hiding up your sleeves.”  Bob tensed but said nothing.  She peeked up at his face, covered in the shadows. After a nano, her body started to grow heavy.  “Oh, no.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What?” Bob sounded panicked.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I can feel it,” she muttered.  “I’m going to be completely drunk by the time we land.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He chuckled with relief.  “Well you can get straight into bed and call in sick tomorrow.”  He lowered them down to the ground and stopped right in front of the door.  “And here we are.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She looked up and blinked again, the diner moving in circles.  “Oh, that’s trippy.”  Her hand reached out to touch the multiple doors and Bob kept her from embracing the pavement.  He hopped down beside her and helped her stand against the wall. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You want me to get Ms. Markle?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Her eyes jumped from the door to him and she swayed.  He steadied her, bending his knees to meet her eye level.  “Hey, Dot, need you to focus on me a nano.”  When she did, he continued.  “Do you want me to get Ms. Markle or take you in myself?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She blinked, her eyes moving back and forth between his.  “What?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He couldn’t help but laugh.  He slowed his words, speaking clear as possible.  “I said, do you want me-?”  She fell into him and covered his lips with hers.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>They slammed back against the diner window, his arms seizing her waist.  The dizziness vanished; he became her whole world.  His lips were warm, his body hot.  For the longest nano he was completely still, not even breathing as she pressed closer to him.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Then the smallest response; a parting of lips and she tasted him, distinctly sweet with a bitter coffee undertone.  The moan escaped her before she could stop it.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He jerked her away like she burned him.  She stumbled back, shocked and hurt by his look of disgust.  It was gone in a split-nano and he was reaching to catch her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He didn’t need to.  The pain sobered her enough to stand on her own, and she kept her distance.  “I’m sorry,” she mumbled.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Dot-,” he started.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She shook her head.  “I didn’t mean to ruin the evening.  I’m gonna lay down now.”  She held up her hand when he tried to speak.  “I didn’t - I’m sorry,” she whispered.  She opened the door of the Diner and slipped inside, walking as quickly as she could towards her room, ignoring the snoring Ms. Markle asleep on the couch.  She didn’t look back to see him.  She didn’t want to.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She made it to the bathroom just in time.  Distantly she hoped she wouldn’t wake Enzo, and when it was over, she threw water on her face and rinsed out her mouth.  As she caught her reflection, she wondered what made her sick: the alcohol or the heartbreak.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Her eyes were damp, and she shut off the light in frustration.  She wouldn’t let herself do it, not under those circumstances.  Instead, she downed two aspirin and crawled into bed, hiding away from the night that had started off so well and ended in disaster…</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>It wasn’t until later in the after-second when she saw him.  He was in the Principal’s Office, reviewing footage of Megabyte and taking notes.  Phong asked her to take him files about the upcoming sector meeting.  She tried to argue but couldn’t come up with a good reason not to.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>She felt nervous as she watched him.  But she couldn’t stand there forever.  She took a breath and knocked.  Bob jumped and turned.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>One look at his face erased her fears.  “By the User!  You look as bad as I feel!  Are you alright?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He gave her a tired smile and rubbed a hand over his pale face.  “Yeah.  I, uh, think I caught something in that appetizer from the Pub.”  He chuckled and put his hands on his knees.  “Take it from me: avoid the chicken strips.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Dot considered reaching out to feel his forehead.  Then she remembered the kiss.  She barely stopped the wince and kept her distance.  “You should go home and get some rest.  You look like you didn’t sleep at all last night.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I’ve been worse.”  His voice softened.  “How are you?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Dot felt her cheeks warm and rubbed at the imaginary itch on her neck, eyes focused on the floor.  “I’ve been better, but I’ll live.”  The silence that followed almost felt oppressive.  She needed to get out of there.  Abruptly, she thrust the files at him.  “Phong wanted me to give these to you.  We’re planning a secret meeting with the residents of Sub-Sector 1000 in G-Prime, so-”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Dot.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"-if you need me,” she continued like that one word said in that one voice didn’t pierce her heart, “I’ll be in the office reviewing the PID upload process-.”  He grabbed her hand and she froze.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Dot.  Look at me.  Please?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She held her breath and glanced up.  He wasn’t angry.  It eased the tension in her chest.  But…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You are an amazing sprite.  I’m flattered that you…”  He trailed off.  “But I can’t.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Why?”  The question popped off before she could catch herself.  She already knew what he would say, and she leapt for an easy out.  “Rules, right?” she smiled weakly.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He stared at her for a long nano.  “That, yes.  But,” he sighed.  “I would do anything for you.  When you need me, I’ll be there.  Always.  You are my best friend.  But I can’t be anything more than that.”  He squeezed her hand, his voice lowering.  “Please don’t ask me why.  Just… let it be.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Dot searched his eyes.  It hurt, his request.  It hurt as bad as the look on his face the night before.  Because all that time, she’d thought they were more.  But he’d kissed her back.  As brief as it was, she didn’t forget that.  She wouldn’t forget that.  Perhaps that was the price she’d pay for crossing the line so foolishly.  And maybe, when she paid that debt in full, she would learn the truth.  Until then…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Okay.”  She nodded once.  “I won’t ask.  But I am sorry.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He smiled, soft and sad.  “Me too.”  He took a breath and looked at the files.  “So, what’s this?”…</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Dot rolled over and stared out the window, the chrono slowly ticking away next to her.  Most nights her mind played tricks, the conversation ending so much differently in her version… but not tonight.  Tonight, she was alone.</p><p>She wondered if Bob ever felt the same way.  If so, he never showed it.  They certainly never talked about it.  But then she’d catch those nano-second glances, when it was almost like there was something there.  Her heart would race just a beat faster, until they went back to the same old routine.  It was a game with no winners.  Those were his rules.  She sighed, the why haunting her worse than the memory of the kiss.</p><p>Could the truth really be so bad?</p><p>Her eyes grew heavy and she finally settled for a few restless microseconds before the games started again.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Tablet</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Dot</span>
</p><p>To say the cycle was busy would be an understatement.  Five games brought the diner construction to a halt and put the residents on high alert.  Hexadecimal was unusually interactive outside of Lost Angles, wreaking havoc everywhere she pranced under the guise of spreading love, joy and nulls.  And Megabyte had slowly been gaining ground back, re-infecting 7 blocks in G-Prime that Bob had liberated.  </p><p>It wasn’t all bad, though.  Phong had a surprise visit from family… which surprised everyone else.  Thirty grandkids populated the Principal Office, dramatically changing from the control center to daycare.  Enzo was practically living on the Cloud, sleeping over every single second with AndrAIa and the ten new kids his age.  It was a blessing for Dot as the project kept her out long microseconds into the night.</p><p>The cycle ended with a surprise storm, the skies parting with brutal force.  Liters of water poured onto the recently delivered insulation, and workers scrambled to cover the material.  Most was saved, but more would need to be ordered.  As for any more construction that second, it was a wash.  She signaled George to call it a night.   </p><p>“I’m so sorry, Ms. Matrix, I had no idea the weather-!”</p><p>She shook her head.  “No one saw this coming.  Everyone’s frustrated, it’s been a long cycle.  Let’s salvage what we can and come back with a plan to fix everything in two seconds.  Sound good?”</p><p>He nodded.  “I promise we’ll get you back on schedule, or no bill.”</p><p>“And I’m gonna hold you to that,” Dot waved her finger at him.  She helped close the diner and cover all open areas before heading back to her apartment.  Though the rain was cold and hit hard enough to sting, she walked it home.  She shivered but it cleared her head and cooled her blood.  Construction was behind - so ridiculously behind - and she hated when things didn’t go according to schedule.  That was supposed to be her bread and butter, schedule and execution.  Without them, she was lost.  She needed tonight to relax but realized she didn’t know what to do.  She didn’t schedule any relaxation in.  So, how was she going to execute that?  </p><p>The absurdity of the comment hit her like a bolt.  She laughed so almost tripped into a puddle.  It wasn’t really that funny, she knew that.  But the stress was ebbing out in whatever way it could.  So, who cared if she looked crazy?  At least she’d be sane by the time she got home.  </p><p>When she got in the door, she stood for a good five nanos and dripped most of the excess water into the front mat.  “Enzo?  You home?”  Her voice echoed back to her and she checked her messages.  “Cartoon-a-thon!  Took the popcorn, hope that’s okay, love you.”  Dot smiled.  “PS, Diner looks great.”  She rolled her eyes and sent him a quick note, making sure he stayed in until the storm passed.   </p><p>A hot bath and green tea beckoned to her as she shivered, and she made quick work in preparing both.  On her way to the tub, her eyes caught the box.  “Ah.”  She pulled out her diary thumb drive and set up the player to her MePad.  She settled into the tub and pressed play, nearly choking on the hot liquid as a picture of her covered in her mother’s make up filled the screen.  She looked like a clown, a very proud one.  Dot laughed as she watched her younger self apply make up on her cat while she slept.   The whole time, six-hour old Dot was explaining her technique to the camera.  It was her first instructional video, followed by the first of many video diaries she made as a child. </p><p>Dot nearly cried with laughter when her mother found her.  The look on her face, especially after Dot tried to give the cat a shaved head, was just too much.  Dot was so happy she got it on tape - though she would delete before she let anyone else see it.  Enzo’s boundless energy suddenly made sense as she watched herself jump from one activity to the next, never seeming to need a breath.  </p><p>The water was cold by the time the tape came to an end.  She changed into a spaghetti strap top and long pants, checked on the never-ending storm, and looked at the stack of datapads on her desk.  Each one indicated a problem with the renovation, and each needed corrective action before Monday.  </p><p>Pouring a glass of red wine and plugging in Labyrinth as background noise, she kicked her feet up and began processing each deficiency.  The spattering of the rain and occasional crash of thunder helped her relax, while the droning of the characters on the video created a comfortable white noise.  Her focus put her in a near trance, the world simplified to problems and corrections.  She was halfway through the stack when the silence hit her.  Blinking with sudden awareness, she glanced up toward the window, the rain hitting hard against the pane.  </p><p>Then she heard a soft giggle.  She sat up at her desk.  “AndrAIa?  Enzo, are you home?”</p><p>“<em>Hey there.  It’s just me</em>.”  Another giggle.  “<em>Soo, do I have a story for you.</em>”</p><p>Dot’s heart pounded, and she reached for the bat hidden behind her couch.  She scanned the entire room, the kitchen and bedroom, but saw nothing.  Her eyes moved to her desk where the voice sounded louder. </p><p>“<em>… what happened to me tonight.  I think… I think I fell in love.</em>”  Dot looked at the MePad, and her eyes widened.  She sat down and brought the tablet closer, staring in surprise as her “Punk Phase”-self spoke quietly into the camera.  </p><p>The teenaged Dot with rainbow hair was lying face down on her bed and grinning like the cat who caught the mouse.  She twirled her bangs between her fingers and rolled her eyes.  “<em>I know, that’s so stupid and sappy, right?  The two things I promised myself I’d never be, and here I am, laying it bare to Mainframe!</em>”  She covered her mouth and giggled, looking quickly to the right before whispering again to the camera.  “<em>But it’s true.  And it’s just like those silly little fairy tales.  You know, love at first sight?  Tonight, I’m Juliet, and I was wooed by Romeo.”  </em>Her head dropped into the sheets and she giggled again.  </p><p>“What… the Dell…” Dot sat down in her chair and reached for her wine.  She watched the video with a mix of amusement and disbelief, having no recollection of what she was talking about.  And her behavior was off the wall, making Dot wonder just what her younger self had gotten into that night.  </p><p>“<em>No, not wooed</em>,” she scrunched her nose.  “<em>I was saved</em>.”  She stared off somewhere in the distance, her tone soft and serious.  “<em>I was in trouble.  I didn’t mean to be.  I just… wasn’t thinking straight.”</em>  She looked at the camera, her eyes suddenly much older than they should have been in her young face.  “<em>Haven’t been for a while, not since Dad died.  But you already know that.”</em></p><p>Dot swallowed.  “Yeah, I know,” she said softly.  </p><p>“<em>And I got mixed up with the wrong guy.  I won’t say his name, because I’d rather just forget.  I don’t know if I will.  Hard to forget something like that.</em>”</p><p>“Apparently not,” she muttered.  </p><p>“<em>It doesn’t matter though.  The right guy came along.  Zipped me up, up and away, and I’m still flying.</em>”  She smiled so big, throwing her whole body into her elation, and she almost rolled off the bed with her happiness.  She righted and giggled, blushing at her own silliness.</p><p>“Oh, my User, I’m drunk.”  Dot put her hand over her eyes, like it would make the whole thing just disappear.  The girl continued to giggle, trying hard to get herself under control, and Dot took a sip while trying not to laugh with her.</p><p>“<em>I never want to come back down.  Want to know why?” </em>Teen Dot looked up under her bangs, something alluring in her violet eyes.  It was as if she was beckoning her viewers to come closer.</p><p>Dot did just that.  She was captivated by her younger self, who seemed so open, something Dot just didn’t do.  She smiled as she sipped her wine, intrigued.   </p><p>“<em>One word.”  </em>She lifted her finger up, lips pressing almost instantly against the digit.  <em>“One word and I’ll never be the same again.</em>”  Teen Dot blushed and licked her lips.  Her voice dropped into a purr.  “<em>Bob</em>.”</p><p>The wine sprayed over the tablet.  </p><p><em>“It’s crazy.  All this because of one sprite.  I had no idea - </em>this<em> must have been what Mom was trying to tell me on her anniversary, what being in love felt like.  It’s… incredible!  I feel warm all over, like every part of me is full of high voltage.  Everything is electric... and it’s wonderful.  From the moment he had me in his arms…” </em>She stopped and looked down at the covers, her face turning pink in all the right places.  She looked adorable.  The perfect picture of true love, reliving the moment when Cupid’s arrow pierced her heart. </p><p>Dot stared in disbelief.  “Wha…?”  Her mind raced, trying to understand what the girl was talking about - and it hit her like a lightning bolt.  She fell back against her chair with a full-bodied laugh.  “The explosion!  Of course!”  </p><p>She paused the video as she caught her breath.  She chuckled at her younger self, though she knew it wasn’t funny at the time.  She’d been devastated, and she had to be strong for both Enzo and herself.  Still, it made perfect sense.  There were a lot of things she couldn’t recall after the explosion, selective memory blocking out the worst moments to protect the heart.  But she didn’t forget when Bob arrived, that strange sprite appearing the same time her father disappeared forever.  She’d blamed him, and he comforted her, at a loss for words yet too kind to turn her away.  </p><p>She must have made the tape that night.  She just couldn’t remember after the gravity of her loss.  She could have done something foolish, like break into her Dad’s liquor cabinet.  It wouldn’t have been the first time, when she’d been unwilling to turn down a dare from her friends.  Maybe she’d done it again, to ease the pain.  And to avoid thinking of Dad, she focused on Bob.</p><p>She stood up and emptied her glass, shaking her head.  “Guess I loved him a lot longer than I thought.”  But it didn’t really surprise her.  She stepped in the kitchen for a refill, searching for that moment she saw Bob as something more.  Nothing stood out.  It was almost like it’d just always been there.</p><p>Always there and unrequited.  She took a long drink and topped off her glass, washing away the dull ache with ripened berries and an undertone of oak.  She returned to her desk, kicked up her feet, and settled in to finish the rest of her monologue.  </p><p>Teen Dot took a breath and looked up toward the sky, smiling so wide her face must have hurt.  “…<em>this crazy feeling hasn’t stopped.  It’s a constant stream of fire and ice.  Everything’s magnified… the sights, the smells, the touch… it’s unreal!  And I had to tell you because I’m afraid it’s a dream.  The most wonderful, beautiful, amazing dream I’ve ever had.  I don’t think I’ll ever feel anything like this again.”</em></p><p>She snorted.  “That’s a bit dramatic.”</p><p>
  <em>“So, I didn’t want to forget.  I have this bad feeling that this will never come again.  He’s going to leave, and I’ll stay.  And then I’ll have to move on.  But I don’t have to forget.  I want to remember everything.  Every smile.  Every touch.  Every kiss.”</em>
</p><p>Dot sat up straighter.  </p><p><em>“The way he looked when he whispered,” </em>she sighed and smiled, <em>“I love you.”</em></p><p>Her heart pounded.  A buzz filled her head, static breaking into the clear picture of her perfectly organized life.  Reality was hurtling into chaos, a train wreck she couldn’t stop.  </p><p><em>“And… remember this.”  </em>The camera moved, crumpled bed sheets dancing in the camera’s soft light.  She stretched quietly along her bed and adjusted the camera.  Dot’s image came back into view - and she wasn’t alone.</p><p>The wine glass dropped from her limp fingers, red liquid bleeding into the carpet.  Static roared, drowning out the thundering of her heart, the gasp escaping her lips.  Everything faded around her, except the image of Bob in her bed.</p><p>He lay on his back, chest bare down to the waist, face relaxed in sleep.  Teen Dot watched him, blushing.  She gave the camera one quick look, the loveliest smile on her young face.  Then, she leaned down and brushed her lips against his.  He stirred instantly, responding to her touch.  His mouth followed as she pulled back with a gasp.  He lost contact and settled back into the pillows, still asleep.  She moved carefully over him, straddling his legs.  She smiled, caressed her lips across his chest, and turned the camera off.</p><p>The Goblin King jumped back on the screen, dancing around the ballroom and singing.  Dot stared at the movie but didn’t see it.  She saw the kiss.  That quick, gentle, loving kiss.  She saw him reaching for her, wanting more.  She saw her own face, ready and willing to give.  And he took it.  He took it all.</p><p>He took her.</p><p>The room spun as her thoughts raced, faster and faster until she thought she’d pass out.  What had she done?  Why couldn’t she remember?  Why didn’t he tell her?  Did he remember?</p><p>She gasped at the memory of the kiss in front of the diner.  The look on his face, the need to get away from her… he must have remembered.  He remembered, and he hated what they’d done.  </p><p>He <em>regretted</em> her.  </p><p>She cried out, arms wrapping around her stomach as she doubled over.  The one thing she’d wanted so much, to know he felt the same way she did.  She wanted him there, to explain, to make things right, to comfort-</p><p><em>No!</em>  The longing for him sickening her.  Her hands tightened around her waist, fingers digging into the skin like talons.  Jaw clenched and eyes screwed tight, her body coiled like a snake ready to strike at a predator.  Anger seeped into her stomach, burning hot as battery acid, until it boiled over into a full-blown fury.  After everything she’d done for him, after all the hours of friendship, after the trust she’d placed in him to care for her and Enzo…</p><p>
  <em>Why?  Why?!  WHY?!</em>
</p><p><em>‘... he whispered I love you...’ </em> Then why did he lie?  Why did he keep lying?!</p><p>
  <em>Why don’t you ask him?</em>
</p><p>Dot froze.  She looked up at the tablet, the heroine and villain facing off in a world of winding staircases, no way of knowing up from down.  She slid the progress bar back enough to see her blushing face, the chaste kiss, and Bob’s reaction; so different from the kiss that night in front of the diner - and Dot could hear his request echoing in her memory.  <em>“I would do anything for you… you are my best friend.  But I can’t be anything more than that.  Please don’t ask me why...”</em></p><p>No, she wouldn’t ask him.  She ripped her jacket from the wall and stalked out the door, the tablet clutched tightly in her hand; down into the empty streets, heedless of the storm, uncaring of the wind that chilled her to the bone.  She broke into a run, slippered feet slapping against the cold pavement.  Water splashed up against her pants and soaked them through.  </p><p>The wine coursed through her, fueling the fire in her belly that drove away all reason.  Her heart throbbed with anger and betrayal, forcing her to run faster, to confront him and put an end to the questions plaguing her.  </p><p>Rain drizzled against her fevered skin.  It mirrored her reality:  running rivulets of colors melting together, nothing clear or solid anymore.  Everything blended in confusion.  She ran until her lungs burned and her throat was raw.  And then she was there, the apartments looming up out of the darkness before her.  She glared up at the top apartment, as if the heat of her stare could recall the memories that abandoned her.  </p><p>The storm picked up, icy sheets beating down with stinging pressure, death by a thousand needles.  She shivered uncontrollably but was too lost in her raging thoughts to care.  Images flashed, questions tumbled, her heart pounded, and her teeth clenched.  What happened?</p><p>‘...<em>I want to remember every moment… I love you…’  That kiss…</em></p><p>Then shoved her away at the diner.  The one kiss she did remember tainted by the one she didn’t.  But <em>he</em> did.  He must have, because he lied.  Over and over and over, he lied; the sprite she thought she knew, thought she loved.  Her hand tightened on the tablet. </p><p>“Dot?”</p><p>She turned.  A blurry shape ran through the rain.  Who would be basic enough to go running in this kind of weather?  She realized the irony and laughed bitterly.  It made her dizzy, her shivering body protesting its treatment and buckling under her.  </p><p>“<em>Dot!!</em>”  Water splashed and she smacked against solid heat.  Through soaked bangs she saw a face hidden beneath a hoodie.  She blinked, and the face became Bob’s.  He was holding her up, the warmth of his hands burning her icy skin.  She tried to pull away, staring at those hands in disdain, and realizing for the first time her arms were bare.  The soaked jacket still hung uselessly in her hand.  She didn’t even care.  </p><p>“User, you’re freezing!  What are you doing out here?”  </p><p>Any other time, her heart would have skipped at the concern in his voice.  Now, it just left her heart cold as her skin.  His hand lifted her chin, raising her eyes to his, and she recoiled at the touch.  His eyes flashed with surprise and hurt.  It made her feel good.</p><p>“Dot, what happened?”</p><p><em>Yes, Bob.  What happened?</em>  “I can’t remember,” she answered, her voice raw from the pain and the run.  She glared up at him with accusing eyes.  “Why can’t I remember?”</p><p>Bob stared at her for a long nano, trying to process her cryptic and angry answer.  An icy wind whipped past them, making Dot shiver violently.  He pulled the jacket from her stiff fingers and wrapped it around her shoulders.  “Let’s get inside.”  He huddled over her, his body taking the worst of the wind and stinging rain.  </p><p>Dot allowed herself to be guided to his apartment, her mind searching desperately for any inkling of a memory of that night - and coming up blank.  She gripped the tablet against her chest, clinging to the only evidence that something had happened.  And this time, Bob wasn’t going to get a pass.  </p><p>No matter how much the truth would hurt. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Confrontation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Dot</span>
</p><p>The apartment was almost stifling compared to the icy storm, but she couldn’t stop shivering.  Bob grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her as he led her to the couch, vigorously rubbing the circulation back into her arms.  She sat woodenly, staring at him, waiting.  He wasn’t in his usual Guardian attire, instead dressed down in a dark gray track suit and running shoes.  He was soaked through and his cheeks were burned from the wind, but none of it seemed to bother him.  And yet, as his eyes came back to hers, he seemed wary under the intensity of her gaze.  He broke away and looked at his arm.</p><p>“Glitch, scanner.”  The keytool ran a test and Bob brought in extra towels from the bathroom for her legs.  “Are you hurt?” he asked gently and placed the towels on her lap.</p><p>She scoffed.  “Am I hurt?  That’s the understatement of the hour.”</p><p>He frowned.  Glitch beeped, and Bob read the results.  He paused and read them again.  He looked at her and hesitated.</p><p>“Don’t worry, I’m not that drunk,” she said sarcastically.  “I’m not gonna throw myself at you again.”</p><p>His eyes widened, the hostility catching him off guard.  Slowly, he knelt before her, watching her carefully.  It took him a nano before he managed, “Dot, what’s going on?”  </p><p>The innocence in his tone irritated her.  It was so genuine, she almost believed him.  Deep down, she wanted to.  But as she gripped the tablet tight to her chest, she couldn’t.  She expected him to lie.  And this time she was ready for it.  “What happened to me after the explosion?”</p><p>Bob stilled.  “What?”</p><p>“After the Twin City, something happened, with you.”  His jaw tensed and she swallowed hard around the words.  “What was it?”</p><p>His eyes moved back and forth between hers, searching for something.  She waited, refusing to give him anything else.  He sighed.  “I’m going to need a little more than that, Dot.”  He sat back on the floor, pushing the hood back and running a hand through his damp silver strands.  “A lot of things happened after the accident,” he said quietly.  </p><p>“Like?”</p><p>Bob watched her.  “The media.”  </p><p>There was an edge to his voice that made her pulse quicken.  She remembered the reporters, remembered being the center of attention.  They were like sharks, and she and Enzo fresh energy in the water.  She hated all of them - except for one.  The memory brought her up short, a twinge of anxiety rushing through her. </p><p>“You remember him.”  Bob’s face was unreadable.    </p><p>“I remember someone, barely,” Dot allowed.  “What does that matter?”</p><p>“I think you know.”</p><p>He tried to be kind, yet the words still made her shiver.  The mystery sprite’s face hovered just out of reach.  Everything about him was in shadows, and a knot tightened in her stomach.  “I don’t.  So why don’t you tell me?”</p><p>Glitch beeped.  Bob looked at his companion, read something on the screen and sighed again.  He touched the screen and stood up.  Glitch whirred and disconnected, floating over to a wall mount and settling in.  The faceplate blinked twice and went dark.  </p><p>“Do you want to change into dry clothes?”</p><p>Dot looked up at him.  “I want an answer.”</p><p>He shook his head.  “Let me rephrase that.  Do you want to change into dry clothes first, or catch pneumonia and I’ll fill you in at the hospital?”</p><p>She bristled at his mocking tone, meant to lighten the mood and completely missing the mark.  “I’m fine,” she argued, voice firm for one solid nano before her teeth chattered with a violent shiver.  </p><p>“Yeah, I can see that.”  He went in the closet and pulled out an old Academy jumpsuit, placing it next to her.  “It’s big, but it’s warm.  You can throw your stuff in the dryer.”  He turned and walked into the kitchen.  “I’ll make some Java if you want to grab a quick shower-”</p><p>“I want you to stop pretending like you care and answer the question.”</p><p>It was quiet for a moment.  Slowly, he stepped back into her view.  “Pretending I care?” he parroted back at her.  “Seriously Dot, I don’t know what happened to you tonight or where this free-floating hostility came from, but I don’t appreciate you accusing me of,” he gestured in frustration, “of whatever you think I did.”</p><p>She stood up and went toe to toe with him.  “I know you’re keeping something from me, and I want the truth.  No more lies,” she demanded.    </p><p>His eyes darkened.  “When did I lie to you, Dot?”</p><p>She opened her mouth and the words stuck.  She hadn’t caught him in a lie, yet.   She only had the words of a rambling and likely drunk teenager, the image of a sleeping boy, and her own perceptions.  Which were never wrong.  Right?</p><p>Bob shook his head when she didn’t answer him.  “Get a shower.  When you sober up, we’ll talk.”  </p><p>Dot felt her cheeks flush, embarrassment and anger rising in her throat at his condescending tone.  “I’m not drunk!”</p><p>“Whatever you need to tell yourself.”  He turned and walked into the kitchen, not bothering to wait for a response.    </p><p>Dot clutched the tablet, still buried with her inside the blankets.  She wasn’t crazy.  She just wanted him to be honest, and he wasn’t taking her seriously.  It infuriated her.  And who was he to get the last word?  There was a small clattering noise as Bob prepped the Java, and she moved in his direction - then paused.  Her gaze crossed over his bedroom door, partially open and fading into the darkness beyond.  The image of Bob in her bed flitted across her mind and she tensed.  She wanted an explanation, but without her memories, she couldn’t confirm if he told her the whole truth.  Maybe being there could trigger something.  </p><p>She took a breath and pressed on the door.  Light spilled across the floor from the living room, and she could just make out a bed and a dresser.  She tapped the light and the room illuminated before her.  It was simple and modern, whites and cream colors culminating in a relatively clean space.  His bed was made, the only pop of color a deep blue comforter and an ice blue pillowcase.  A bedside lamp, an alarm clock, and another charging station for Glitch completed the room’s minimal accessories.  There were no pictures, no nick-knacks, not even a poster to personalize the room.  It was such a contrast to the expressive room she once had, so long ago.</p><p>She leaned against the doorframe and replayed the video in her mind.  Her cheeks burned.  Did he ever think about it, like she was now?  She closed her eyes, trying to remember anything about that night, trying to make sense of it all, to prepare herself for the questions to come.  Only darkness appeared.  </p><p>And danger lurked there.</p><p>Her breath caught and her eyes flew open.  Blood thundered past her ears as she told herself she was safe, there were no monsters here.  But the doubt remained.  </p><p><em>‘A lot of things happened after the accident...’ </em>   </p><p>His tone, the look in his eyes, his carefully chosen words.  What if they weren’t just ways to avoid her?  What if they were warnings?  <em>Go back.  Danger ahead.  Point of no return.</em>  </p><p>She looked at her reflection in the tablet’s blank screen.  Too late.  She needed to know, needed him to explain.  He said she was his best friend.  He hadn’t let her down yet.  Maybe that earned him the benefit of the doubt.   Her own words echoed back her from the diary, ‘<em>I was saved’</em>, and the shadow in her memory knocked at her consciousness, Bob’s voice echoing, <em>‘You remember him.’</em></p><p>Maybe Bob wasn’t the enemy in this narrative.  Then, why did he keep it from her?  He must have known, all this time.  She shivered again, and realized she needed to change before anything could get solved.  Reluctantly, she picked up the track suit from the couch.  </p><p>She closed the bedroom door and dropped the blanket to the floor.  Despite the warmth of the room, she still trembled inside her sodden clothes, her stiff fingers fighting the simple actions of undressing.  She glanced over to the bathroom, a hot shower tempting.  But the alcohol was working through her system, and she could feel the tiredness seeping into her bones.  A hot shower would only make it worse.  She quickly donned the baggy clothes. </p><p>They were dry, and long.  But they were warm.  She rolled the pants and sleeves as best she could.  Carefully, she tucked the tablet into the oversized pocket at her waist, then balled up her wet clothes and put them into the tumble dryer in the hall.  The soft <em>thump thump</em> of the dryer, surrounded by the smell of fresh Java wafting through the air, was oddly soothing.  Quietly she approached the kitchen.  </p><p>He still wore his workout clothes.  She’d always found it odd the way he liked running in bad weather, or on mornings when it was cold enough to leave frost on the buildings.  He said it was cleansing for the soul; she said he was a glutton for self-inflicted pain.  He leaned against the counter, arms crossed as he sipped from a steaming cup of Java, a deep frown on his face.  </p><p>
  <em>What are thinking about, Bob?</em>
</p><p>As if hearing her, he glanced up.  Their eyes locked for a long nano before he asked, “Feeling better?”</p><p>She shook her head and gestured to the Java machine.  “May I?”</p><p>He turned and pulled down a clean mug from the cabinet, offering it to her in silence.  She mumbled a thank you and fixed herself a cup, inhaling the strong brew and sighing as the fog in her head cleared.  Her fingers burned around the cup, a welcomed pain, and she took a slow sip.  The rush of heat through her chest made her shiver with delight.  The liquid was scalding, but it hurt so good.  </p><p>Maybe he wasn’t the only one who enjoyed self-punishment.</p><p>She sighed and blew the steam from her cup.  “I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t have come at you like that.  I’m just - I got into trouble, right?”  She turned to face him.  “And you helped me.  But whatever it was, I can’t remember the details.  You can.”  He didn’t answer her, but he didn’t deny her either.  “I need to know, Bob.”</p><p>“Do you?”</p><p>Lightning flashed outside, nearly blinding her with the burst.  The walls shook as the thunder rumbled overhead.  She watched the rain spray up as the winds turned violent.  <em>Warning.  Turn back.</em>  But she wouldn’t.  Not now.  “Yes.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>She looked back at him in surprise, and a touch of anger.  “Because something was taken from me, and I want it back.”  He turned away, but not before she caught a flinch.  <em>Danger.</em>  “Why wouldn’t I want to know?”</p><p>“Because it won’t change anything.”</p><p>She nearly flinched herself, a part of her still clinging to the hope that he cared - and afraid to learn otherwise.  She moved to the table and pulled out a chair.  “Maybe it won’t,” she said as she sat down, one hand wrapped around her mug and the other holding the tablet in her pocket, “or maybe everything changes.  But why don’t you let me decide that?  It is my life, after all.”  She gestured to the chair across from her, but he shook his head.  Silence settled between them, and Dot didn’t know what to say next.</p><p>“Do you remember having this conversation already?” he asked.</p><p>She frowned.  “What conversation?”</p><p>“The one the morning after.”</p><p>She tensed.  Was he going to come right out and say it?  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  His eyes narrowed slightly as he watched her, and she felt herself blush under his penetrating gaze.  Could he see right through her?</p><p>Whatever he was seeking, he didn’t seem to find.  “Where did this come from then?  You just remembered something out of the blue?”</p><p>She chewed on her lip, considering.  “I found something from that night, and I remember something, barely.”  </p><p>“What did you find?”  She didn’t answer him.  The silence stretched long enough that Bob let it drop.  “All right.  Where do you want me to begin?”</p><p>Where indeed?  “Earlier, you asked if I remembered him.  Who is him?”</p><p>Tension lines appeared around his eyes just before he looked down into his cup.  “You’d made a friend with one of the reporters from the SuperComputer, or at least I think that’s what happened.  I don’t know how it started.  But he wasn’t friendly when I found you.”</p><p>‘<em>....I was in trouble…’</em> “Meaning?”</p><p>He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck.  “It still hasn’t gotten any easier to say this…”</p><p>“I’m not made of glass, Bob.”  She ignored the anticipation gnawing at her gut.</p><p>He sighed.  “He drugged you.”</p><p>Whatever she was expecting him to say, it wasn’t that.  “With what?” she asked carefully.</p><p>“ActiveX.”</p><p>Her chest tightened; the air suddenly hard to breath.  She knew about designer drugs, heard too many crazy stories from counterparts in her business dealings.  She’d even been offered some on the down-low from less reputable acquaintances trying to get established.  But everything had its dark side, and she’d seen too many news vids about sprites caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.  It was why she was so vigilant with Enzo.</p><p>She just never thought she’d be the one who got caught.  “Did...?” The words stuck.  She cleared her throat and tried again.  “Did he-?”</p><p>“No.  You were smart.  You got away.”</p><p>She nodded once; eyes focused on a spot on the table.  “I guess you found me after that?”</p><p>“Yes, before things got worse, and I brought you back to your apartment.”</p><p>Her heart started to thud in her ears.  “You brought me here, you mean.”</p><p>Bob paused.  “Yeah, that’s right.”</p><p>“And then what happened?”  </p><p>“We talked.  You thought he might come back, so I stayed, and you went to bed,” he said quietly.</p><p><em>Alone, Bob?</em>  Dot looked at him suddenly, a coldness gripping her heart at the implications.  <em>He wouldn’t have…</em> “And you knew, right?  You knew I wasn’t… okay?”  </p><p>“Well, yeah, you’d had a rough night.  It was pretty obvious you weren’t okay.”</p><p>She shook her head, her tone sharp.  “I mean, you knew I was drugged.  When you stayed here?”  She caught a flash of guilt. </p><p>“No.  I didn’t know until the next morning, when you got sick.  Glitch scanned you, and that’s when we realized just how bad it could have been.  You didn’t remember anything; the attack or me.  You threatened me with your baseball bat, actually.  Totally didn’t see that one coming.”</p><p>She’d expected relief but only felt confusion instead.  “You didn’t know?” </p><p>“No,” he said slowly, “I didn’t.”</p><p>“I didn’t act odd to you?”  </p><p>He gave her a strange look.  “Dot, I didn’t really know you.  We’d met, like, once before.  I wouldn’t have known what was odd.  You seemed to react the same way I’d expect from any other-” he cut off, an uncomfortable look on his face.</p><p>“Victim?” she offered.</p><p>He looked down at his Java and tossed the rest down the sink.  “Yeah,” he said softly as he turned and started washing his cup.</p><p>She watched him and tried to put the last pieces together.  He seemed so genuine, the tale told so naturally, nothing appearing out of place.  Except...  “Was that all?”</p><p>He paused, then continued cleaning around the sink.  “What do you mean?”</p><p>“Did anything else happen that night?”  Her heart pounded in her ears, and she gripped the tablet. </p><p>He grabbed a towel to dry his hands.  “Nothing worth remembering," he said over his shoulder.</p><p>She covered her mouth and closed her eyes to stop the nausea.  Either he was lying… or he was telling the truth.  And she didn’t know which was worse.</p><p>“I know that aside from the amnesia and the illness, the drug didn’t cause any lasting effects,” he said as he went back to cleaning around the kitchen.  “But I know that doesn’t make this any easier.  And for what’s it’s worth, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.  I just… I thought you didn’t need the grief.  You’d been through enough.”</p><p>Dot barely heard him.  He droned on, his tone so innocent and casual and perfectly normal for lying through his teeth.  And why not?  He'd almost gotten away with it.  Almost.</p><p>She pulled out the tablet, set it on the table and pressed play.</p><p>             </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Confession</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Bob</span>
</p><p>He was rambling and he knew it, mindlessly straightening up the kitchen as he tried to end the conversation.  The question bothered him, and lying made it even worse.  He knew he was walking a dangerous line; one misstep, and everything he’d worked so hard to fix would burn to ashes-</p><p>
  <em>“-incredible!  I feel warm all over, like every part of me is full of high voltage.  Everything is electric... and it’s wonderful.”  </em>
</p><p>Bob stilled, confused.  The voice sounded like Dot’s but was tinny and distant.  He turned around as she got out of her chair and walked to the window.  The voice continued from a small tablet propped up on the table.  He stepped closer and his breath caught as he watched a younger and giddier Dot gush into the camera, her face and voice as vibrant as her rainbow hair.  Unease washed over him.</p><p>
  <em>“-most wonderful, beautiful, amazing dream I’ve ever had.  I don’t think I’ll ever feel anything like this again.  So, I didn’t want to forget.  I have this bad feeling that this will never come again.  He’s going to leave, and I’ll stay...”</em>
</p><p>He sank into the chair, heart pounding with dread.</p><p>
  <em>“I want to remember everything.  Every smile.  Every touch.  Every kiss.”  </em>
</p><p>His gut clenched.  </p><p><em>“The way he looked when he whispered,</em> <em>I love you.”</em></p><p>His fingers twitched as he remembered holding her face, the words flowing too easily.</p><p>
  <em>“And… remember this.” </em>
</p><p>The camera moved and Bob felt the world ripped out beneath him as his own younger self came into view, blissfully unaware of Dot and her innocent recording.  She kissed him and his body responded, on the video and in the present.  <em>No!</em>  His hand snapped out and slammed the tablet facedown.  He struggled to get his breathing under control, but his heart wouldn’t stop ramming against his ribcage.  <em>No no no.</em> </p><p>And suddenly, everything about the night made sense.  Conveniently too late.  “For User’s sake, Dot,” he breathed.  “Why didn’t you just ask me?”</p><p>“I did,” she answered, voice thick around the words.  “I asked you what happened, so many ways.  And you just kept lying to me.”</p><p>He turned on her, not attempting to hide his anger.  “No, you baited me!  You didn’t ask about this!” he gestured at the tablet.</p><p>“And how exactly does one go about that, Bob?” she snapped.  “‘Hey, remember that time you slept with me?  Whatever happened with that?’ Is that right?” </p><p>“Oh, sure, because bringing this up in casual conversation is so much easier.  ‘Wow, great game play today!  By the way, we had sex once.  Can you pass the potatoes?’”  He threw his arms out.  “That would have gone over so well!”</p><p>Her stare was withering.  “A conversation would have been much better than finding out like this.”</p><p>He turned in his chair, leaning back against it with a new-found exhaustion.  He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Yeah.”</p><p>The room was quiet save for the rapid tapping of the rain, accented by the occasional burst of thunder.  After a few nanos, the chair moved as Dot settled back in her seat.  “All this time, you kept it from me," she said softly, "because it wasn’t worth remembering?”  </p><p>He winced at her choice of words.  “I didn’t mean it like that.”</p><p>“Then how did you mean it?  How could you do that - how could you say those words, and then pretend it never happened?”</p><p>“I was trying to protect you.”</p><p>“From who, you?” </p><p><em>Yes.</em>  “From this,” he gestured around them.  “From this conversation, this pain.  The embarrassment.”</p><p> She tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear.  “I was that bad, then?” she tried to ask lightly and not quite pulling it off.</p><p> "Wha-?  Dot, no.”  He looked at her in disbelief.  “That’s not-” he rubbed his mouth as he tried to explain.  “The morning after, when I explained what happened the first time, you panicked that you did something you couldn’t remember.  And honestly, I didn’t - I couldn’t tell you that you were right.”</p><p>“You mean you couldn’t tell me how you took advantage of me?”</p><p>He flinched and looked away.  </p><p>“Well, no time like the present.”  She leaned back and crossed her arms, “Fill in the blanks, Bob.  What really happened to me that night?”</p><p>He stared out across the kitchen and into the living room.  Just as so many nights before, the memories played out; every word spoken, every touch shared, every wrong decision on display.  “I brought you here because you didn’t want to go to the Principal’s Office,” he started softly, his tone flat and detached.  “You invited me in and we talked, about Enzo, about your father, about bad choices we’d made.  You were so hard on yourself for what happened, and I was still blaming myself for my mentor’s death before the explosion.”</p><p>
  <em>‘Sprites have their limits.  You’re allowed to be a sprite…’  </em>
</p><p>He remembered her hug, the way her body fit perfectly into his, and the comfort he felt with her.  “We were fighting our own demons, and we just clicked.  Two strangers with common ground.  But he was still out there, and you were afraid he might come back.  I didn’t want you left alone, so I offered to stay.  And you were so happy.”  He swallowed as he re-lived their first kiss.  He tried to block out the memory, but he could still feel the weight of her, touch the softness of her body and taste the sweetness of her lips.  He felt the anger at Glitch’s interference, the protectiveness turning into possessiveness, the flash of fear that something was so terribly wrong-</p><p>“Bob?”</p><p>His eyes flew open and he was back in the present.  It was almost jarring, leaving behind the Dot who so innocently seduced him to stare at the Dot who’s eyes bore right down into his soul.  Unnerved, he broke the gaze first.  “What?”  His voice was gruff with irritation. </p><p>Her hand slid across the table and clasped his, fingers interlacing.  She squeezed gently and he looked up.  “I see ghosts in your eyes.  Let them go, Bob.”</p><p>It was salt in the wound.  No matter how much she got hurt, she always put herself second.  He still didn’t deserve her, and he never would.  The support she offered only cast his actions into a harsher light.  And the truth she so desperately wanted he could never give her.  Because she deserved so much better...</p><p>He needed to end it, for her sake.   </p><p>“I should have left,” he said, and he pulled his hand from hers, ignoring the momentary hurt in her eyes.  “I should have reported him and sent someone else to protect you.  I knew something was wrong.  Glitch knew it, too.  Tried to warn me and I just… ignored it.  Until it was too late.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>He pressed his lips together, the words harder to get out than he imagined.  “You weren’t the only one drugged that night.”</p><p>“What?”  She frowned at him, not understanding.  </p><p>“When I found you, he attacked me, and the drug got into my system.  Like you, I didn’t know.  And if I felt half the things you did, Dot,” he sighed, “then it’s no wonder we...  but that's why I kept quiet; why I was embarrassed. </p><p>“Because everything about that night was a lie.”</p><p>She took a slow breath, her eyes bouncing between his as the words sunk in. </p><p>“Everything we did,” he continued quietly, “everything we <em>said</em>, it wasn’t real.  It wasn’t us.  And to find out the next morning that my mind had been altered without knowing it, that my reality was questionable....”  He shook his head.  “Dot, I’m glad you forgot.  And I wish you’d never found that vid.  I never wanted you to feel like something had been taken from you.  Especially not like that.  That’s why I never told you.”  Gently, he slid the tablet back to her.  “But I can’t undo this.  I can only tell you, I’m sorry.  Sorry that I wasn’t strong enough, that I let you down.”</p><p>Dot looked at the tablet, her fingernails worrying at her lip.  When she inhaled, her jaw quivered slightly, and her hand immediately moved to cover it.  “So, it was all fake,” she said as she cleared her throat.  “Isn’t that a relief?”</p><p>“Dot, don’t-”</p><p>“Don’t what, Bob?” she looked at him, pain and anger coloring her voice.  “Don’t mourn the cycles of Dell I went through after my father deleted?  Don’t hurt for the loss of my innocence?  Don’t be angry for being robbed of something that sounded so-” she put her head in her hand and let out a shaky breath.  “It’s just not fair.  To finally have something good and see it ripped away again.”  </p><p>“…Again?”</p><p>“Yes, again.  Because when you took me dancing that night, it was the most amazing thing since the Twin City went up.  Until I ruined it.  But I thought, with time, maybe things could be different.  And now,” her hand gestured to the tablet, “I thought this meant something.  I mean, I was hurt and betrayed and so confused, but I still hoped.”</p><p>He looked down.  “Dot…”</p><p>“How many times are you going to break my heart?”</p><p>The question took the breath right out of him.  He turned, getting up from his chair and walking over to the Java machine to get some distance.  This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.  It wasn’t supposed to be this hard.<br/>            He reached into the cabinet for another cup, moving as casually as he could.  “I know you don’t want to hear this right now,” he started off gently.  “But you will meet someone-”</p><p>“I have met someone.  He’s my best friend and my hero.”</p><p>His hand gripped the mug tight enough to break it, remembering the last time she’d called him that.  He couldn’t fall for her again.  He wouldn’t.  He turned and leaned against the counter, holding her serious gaze with one of his own.  “I am also Mainframe’s Guardian.  My mission is to protect this system and its citizens, with no exceptions, and no distractions.”</p><p>“Is that how you see me, a distraction?”</p><p><em>If only you knew.</em>  “You are my friend.  But anything more?  Yes, you would be.  And I won’t risk my purpose here for that.  Ever.”</p><p>“Then why did you kiss me back at the Diner?”</p><p><em>Because you’re the most beautiful sprite I’ve ever seen.</em>  It was déjà vu all over again, her passion so much like that first night.  But this time, he wouldn’t give in.  “I may be a Guardian, but I’m still a sprite.  Even I have my limits.  Just ask Mouse.”  </p><p>Her cheeks reddened and she dropped her gaze, but not before he saw how precisely he’d hit the mark.  It killed him inside to do this to her, but he knew it was the right thing for her.  No matter what it did to him.  </p><p>She reached for the tablet and stood up, not looking at him.  “I think we both can agree that was uncalled for.”</p><p>“I told you before to let it go, Dot.”</p><p>“And you told me I was your best friend.”</p><p>“You are-”</p><p>“I was.”</p><p>He paused.  “You <em>are</em>.  And everything I’ve done was to protect you.  I swear, if I could have taken it all back, if I could have stopped this from ever happening - there is not a second that goes by that I don’t regret that night.  If there was something I could do to make it right, I would.”</p><p>Dot was quiet for a long nano, her eyes closed and body completely still.  Then, “If I asked something of you now, would you do it?”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“To fix it.”  When he hesitated, she scoffed.  “Nothing like that.  You’ve made it abundantly clear you'll never love me.”</p><p>He was glad she couldn’t see how wrong she was, or how much he regretted that she was right.  "What is it?” he asked softly.</p><p>“Your promotion.  You asked me before if I wanted you to leave, to go to bigger and better systems.”  She raised her eyes to his.  “And now my answer is yes.”</p><p>It took everything he had not to react.  “You want me to leave Mainframe?”</p><p>“As grateful as I am for everything you’ve done for us, I think we’ve just established that you’ve done enough.”  She put the tablet in her pocket and turned to face him fully.  “Take your promotion, and take it somewhere else.”</p><p>He looked at the floor, his mind racing.  “Dot, I-”</p><p>“I don’t care, Bob.  I don’t care how long it takes or what you have to do.  But if you really are my friend, my best friend, you’ll do this for me.  And if you can’t then I will.”</p><p>He met her steady gaze, and he knew she was serious.  There was nothing he could say, nothing he could do, to change her mind now.  His perfectly controlled world had crumbled like a house of circuit cards, and he no longer had any ground to stand on.  </p><p>She took his silence as acceptance.  “I’ll be back in the morning for my clothes.”  And without another word, she headed for the door and out into the storm.  </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Intervention</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Glitch</span>
</p><p>When he came back online, the apartment was silent.  He detached from his charger and floated into the kitchen.  His Guardian was alone and staring out into the raging storm.  Quietly, he landed on the counter next to Bob’s arm, and immediately took notice of the half empty whiskey bottle.  </p><p>The conversation must have been bad.  Bob only reached for his crutch when the burden was too much to bear in silence, and Glitch had always taken care to look the other way – within reason.  Now would be no exception, not with this sinking feeling flowing through his circuits.  He clicked once.  Bob made no motion to acknowledge his presence.  </p><p>Then, “You were right, Glitch.  About everything.  I should have listened to you from the start.”</p><p>
  <em>[So, her memories came back.]</em>
</p><p>Bob shook his head.  “No.”</p><p>
  <em>[Then, how-]</em>
</p><p>“She recorded a diary that night,” Bob said quietly as he took a sip.  “And guess who was in it?”</p><p><em>[...FAQ.]</em>  </p><p>“Yeah.  That about sums it up.”  He sighed and refilled his cup.  “She wants me out of Mainframe.”</p><p>It was worse than he thought. <em> [Bob, you can’t-]</em></p><p>“I don’t have a choice.”  Bob watched the amber liquid swirl round and round in his mug.  “She has proof I broke the rules.  All she needs to do is send it Turbo.  Or I go and request a transfer, with no progress on the project and no good reason to go, and have to tell him the truth anyway.”  Bob chuckled bitterly.  “Either way, I’m screwed.”</p><p>Glitch clicked rapidly, thinking.  <em>[Before you resign yourself to the worst possible outcome, look at it from her side.  She got hit with a lot tonight.  She’s angry, and rightfully so.  But she doesn’t know how complex this whole thing is, or that asking you to leave is a bigger deal than just switching systems.]  </em>He beeped and scooted closer.<em>   She’s only acting out because she’s hurt.  That doesn’t mean she wants to end your format.]  </em></p><p>Bob took a breath.  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”</p><p>
  <em>[Why?]</em>
</p><p>“She wants more,” Bob said softly, struggling with the words.  “And I can’t give that to her, you know that.  And I- I said things.  I hurt her.  I had to push her away.  She can’t know the truth about that night, about everything afterwards, that-”  He took a shaky breath.</p><p>
  <em>[That you love her too?]</em>
</p><p>He swallowed hard.  “What else can I do, Glitch?”</p><p>Glitch hesitated.  He knew the answer, they both did, but that’s not what Bob was looking for.  It also wasn’t what he needed to hear.  <em>[You do what you’ve always wanted.  Make it right.]</em></p><p>Bob scoffed.  “Make it right,” he repeated, voice hollow.  “Sounds so easy.”</p><p>
  <em>[It’s not as hard as you think, if you ask for help.]</em>
</p><p>Bob frowned at his keytool.  “What are you talking about?”</p><p>
  <em>[Ask Dot.]</em>
</p><p>“Ask Dot what?”</p><p>
  <em>[What you should do.  How you should fix it.]</em>
</p><p>“No,” Bob snapped.  “No, I can’t - I <em>won’t</em> - involve her in this.  It’s my problem.”</p><p>
  <em>[For once, why don’t you let her decide that?] </em>
</p><p>Bob stiffened.  His eyes narrowed and his tone went cold.  “Meaning?”</p><p><em>[This isn’t about just you anymore.  She’s involved, whether you like it or not.  And now the project is in limbo because of it.  Now, every resident of Mainframe is affected by what happens tonight, not to mention the Collective as a whole.  Bob, they took a huge risk in giving you this assignment.  If it gets out that you were conducting an experiment at the risk of sprites’ lives, it will breed distrust in the Guardians.  Even if you try to justify it was for the betterment of everyone, they’ll only see how you lied, how the whole Collective lied.  And that’s assuming the Guardians stand by you.  They might have too much to lose.]</em>  He beeped.  <em>[But so do you, and so does she, now that she knows.]</em></p><p>Bob shook his head.  “No, Glitch.  I won’t put that burden on her.  She was the victim that night, of both him and me.  She bears no responsibility for my actions-”</p><p><em>[But she bears responsibility for hers,]</em> he cut in sharply.</p><p>It brought Bob up short.  “What?”</p><p>Glitch whirred and floated up in front of Bob.  <em>[Was she a victim?  Yes.  But so were you.  You made bad choices that night, there’s no denying that.  But you didn’t put yourself in that predicament.  She did.  She even said it herself: she knew it was risky, and she still went.  Was it a mistake?  Yes.  Did she mean to make you suffer for that night?  No.  But it was a consequence of her actions.]</em>  Glitch stuck out a mechanical arm and jabbed it at Bob’s face.  <em>[She’s as much accountable as you.  And the sooner you stop treating her like a helpless, hopeless, tragic victim and treat her with the dignity of an equally accountable party, the sooner you might be able to find a way out of this that doesn’t leave you both miserable!]   </em></p><p>Bob’s shock lasted for a whole nano before it burned away in a flash of anger.  “You want me to win her over by blaming her for that night?!  Are you random- <em>Hey!!</em>” Bob jumped back as a bolt crackled at the end of Glitch’s arm.</p><p><em>[You’re not listening!]</em> the keytool argued.  <em>[If you think she’s angry now, how do you think she’s going to feel if you lose your format, or worse?  What happens if her finding that diary and sending you away causes everything to blow up in our faces?  You honestly believe she’d just laugh it off, go about her life like she doesn’t care?  She loves you, dipswitch!  She won’t forgive herself, especially if she finds out you feel exactly the same way!]</em></p><p>“That’s why she can’t know!!” Bob yelled, the alcohol getting the better of him. “Spammit, Glitch, you know I can’t be with her!!  Why would I tell her and get her hopes up and just rip it away from her again?!”</p><p>
  <em>[Because it should be a choice between both of you, built out of the honesty you denied her in the first place!!]</em>
</p><p>Bob flinched and turned away from Glitch, throwing the mug in the sink.  Whiskey splattered and the mug broke.  For several nanos, he didn’t move.  </p><p><em>[Bob?]  </em>The Guardian ignored him and snatched up the bottle.  He took a straight shot, a brazen display in front of his keytool.  <em>[Bob-]</em> </p><p>“It always comes back to that doesn’t it?” Bob interjected, putting the bottle down hard enough to crack the glass.  “You’ve been beating the same drum from the start.  And now you want me to tell her everything, and let her decide my fate on top of it.”</p><p><em>[Ask her to agree on the way forward,]</em> Glitch corrected. <em> [Maybe you turn yourself into Turbo and end your format.  Maybe you and Dot work together to make the project a success, and you retire afterwards and marry and have eight kids.]</em>  Bob didn’t react, like Glitch expected.  Carefully he set himself down on the counter.  <em>[Whatever you choose, you need to do something.  Because you can’t keep going on like this.]</em>  He tapped the bottle for emphasis.  </p><p>“You haven’t stopped me before,” Bob sidestepped.</p><p><em>[And I’ll have to answer for those consequences, some second.]</em>   </p><p>“You would, wouldn’t you?”  He exhaled in frustration.  “Are there anyone’s lives I haven’t ruined?”</p><p>
  <em>[Again, my actions, my consequences.  Bob, the Net doesn’t live or die on your shoulders.  I chose to stand by you all those hours ago, and I’m choosing to stand by you now.  I will be by your side until the end.]</em>
</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>
  <em>[Isn’t it obvious?  If you gave Dot a chance, she’d do the same.]</em>
</p><p>Bob took a deep breath and looked out at the storm.  “I know she would,” he said quietly.  “And that’s the problem.  Because I’m the last sprite in the Net she should care about.  That’s why I can’t drag her down with me.”</p><p><em>[That’s not-]</em>  The Guardian gently laid his hand on his faceplate, silencing his protests.</p><p>“I’ve made up my mind, Glitch.  Tomorrow, I’ll report back to Turbo, and I’ll tell him the truth, from the beginning.  I’ll face my consequences.   And I’ll do everything I can to minimize yours.”</p><p>Now it was Glitch’s turn to be surprised.  <em>[You’re serious.  You’re giving up on us.]</em></p><p>“I’m not.  I’m just tired of running in circles.  Aren’t you?”  When Glitch didn’t answer, Bob nodded.  “I’m going to pack.  Alone, if you don’t mind.”</p><p>Glitch didn’t know what to say.  He watched with confusion and agitation as Bob went into the bedroom and shut the door.  All this time, he’d wanted Bob to do the right thing.  And facing Turbo was the right thing.  Finally, Bob had listened to him.</p><p>And it pissed Glitch off.</p><p>Ever since that fateful night, he watched Bob suffer in silence, paying the price second after second for the choices he’d made.  And Glitch stayed quiet.  He saw Bob and Dot grow closer, as Bob still tried to pull away.  And Glitch stayed quiet.  He sat at his side as Bob tried to drown his misery after Enzo’s birth-second party, watching him stumble and mourn yet again for being a sprite.  And Glitch stayed quiet.   </p><p>Well, Glitch was tired of being quiet.  </p><p>Bob had suffered enough.  It was time he stopped paying for his mistakes alone.  And even though he knew it could damage their friendship, perhaps irreparably, he needed to speak up.  To give Bob one last chance for peace.  He at least deserved that.</p><p>Even if it cost them everything. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Truth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Dot</span>
</p><p>
  <em>Rap, rap, rap.</em>
</p><p>Dot lifted her head slowly, unsure if what she heard was real.  She stared at the door through swollen and blurry eyes, disbelieving someone would visit her at this late microsecond – except for the one person who might know she was up.  Her fingers tightened around the pillow in her lap.  The silence stretched, and she slowly sank back into the couch, trying to ignore the surge of disappointment.</p><p>
  <em>Rap! Rap! Rap!</em>
</p><p>Her heart jumped in her throat.  She hesitated a nano, then unfolded her legs from under her and made her way to the door.  There was no one on the other side of the peephole.  Frowning, she called, “Who is it?”  She winced at the thickness in her voice.  She coughed and asked again.</p><p>
  <em>Rap Rap!</em>
</p><p>Her head jerked back.  Keeping the bat within reach, she carefully opened the door - and gaped.  “Glitch?!”</p><p>The keytool hovered before her, a white gloved hand sticking out of his side.  The hand turned palm up and waved at her.  </p><p>“What are you doing here?”  She looked around and was more surprised to find he was alone.  Glitch shifted, the arm disappearing and the faceplate expanding into a tablet sized screen.  Words scrolled across.  <em>{Hi, Dot.  May I come in?}</em></p><p>Her eyes widened.  She’d never communicated with the keytool before.  “Um, sure.”  She stepped aside, and the device floated by her with a beep of gratitude.  “Uh, can I get you anything – a charger or something?”</p><p><em>{No, thank you.}</em>  He settled on the coffee table.  </p><p>Dot sat down on the couch, feeling awkward.  “Did Bob send you?”  </p><p><em>{He doesn’t know I’m here.}</em>  Her eyebrows shot up.  <em>{And he won’t be happy when he finds out.}</em></p><p>“Why?”</p><p>
  <em>{Because I’m here to save him.}</em>
</p><p>Dot sat up straighter.  “Save him?  From what?”</p><p>
  <em>{From himself.  He’s about to do something very brave but very basic.  He’s going to turn himself into the Guardian Collective about the night you were attacked.}</em>
</p><p>Dot scoffed.  “And you think that’s brave?  Owning up to something he should have done from the start instead of lying to me all these hours?  Guardians must have lower standards than I thought.”</p><p>
  <em>{You’re right, he knew he was wrong.  And whether or not you believe me, he’s never forgiven himself for not taking responsibility sooner.}</em>
</p><p>It was a small condolence, and she couldn’t deny the tiny thrill of satisfaction.  “So, why now?  Because I called him on it?”</p><p>
  <em>{Do you remember when he told you about the restrictions all Guardians live by?}</em>
</p><p>She shifted uncomfortably as she recalled other memories from that night.  “Yeah.”</p><p>
  <em>{Relationships are forbidden.  Those found guilty are given immediate dismissal from the Collective.  Bob is going to tell them what happened, and he’s going to lose his format.  Or, more accurately, he’s going to give it up.}</em>
</p><p>“What do you mean, give it up?  Why-?”</p><p>
  <em>{Because you asked him to.}</em>
</p><p>It felt like a slap in the face.  “No!” she jumped to her feet.  “No, don’t you put that on me.  I told him to transfer, not end his format!  If he feels that much guilt, that’s his decision!”</p><p>
  <em>{It’s not.  He can’t request a transfer, Dot.  Not without answering questions.  And those questions are going to lead right back to you, and that night.  No matter what, it’s going to end with him no longer a Guardian.}</em>
</p><p>Dot wasn’t expecting that, or the way her heart dropped into her stomach.  She should have been happy, he was getting exactly what he deserved - but the thought of him not being a Guardian hurt way more than she wanted to admit.  She felt a fresh wave of anger, fueled by embarrassment at her outburst.  She looked away, her cheeks turning red.  “He could have told me that.”</p><p>
  <em>{He could have told you a lot of things.  But he won’t.  And that’s why we’re in this mess.}</em>
</p><p>She shook her head.  “I don’t understand.”</p><p>Glitch beeped and clicked twice, the words disappearing into a flat green line.  The line jumped as voices played from a recording.</p><p><em>“You are one twisted sprite, you know that?”</em> </p><p>Dot’s eyes widened as she recognized Bob, his voice young and angry, but still every bit the Guardian she’d come to know.</p><p><em>“Oh, it’s you.”</em>  A new voice, unfamiliar and cold.  <em>“You’d better watch it, boy.  One shout from me and you’ll be all over the news on your way to a jail cell.”  </em>She sank onto the couch, her stomach a knot of anxiety. </p><p>
  <em>“If I go, you’ll be right there with me.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I’m not assaulting citizens.”</em>
</p><p><em>“No, you’re just date raping them.”</em>  Bob’s words took the breath out of her as she realized who he was talking to.  She couldn’t remember his face or his name, but the voice stirred the shadow lurking in her mind.  Her fingers tightened into the cushions.  </p><p>
  <em> “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Really?  Maybe a trip to the Principal’s Office will help jog your memory.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“On what grounds?” </em>
</p><p>Bob’s voice went just as cold as her attacker’s.  <em>“I’ll list them on the way; you can pick your favorite.”</em></p><p> <em>“So, no official warrant, then.  Why?  Dot can’t remember the details?”</em>  Hearing her name made her shudder.  His sickening voice dropped to a solicitous whisper. <em> “But you do, don’t you?</em>  <em>Be honest, that sweet little girl was a wild one, huh?” </em></p><p>Dot covered her mouth, nauseated.  How could she get involved with such a sprite like this?  There were sounds of a scuffle and a laugh.  <em>“That’s what I thought,” </em>the voice mocked.</p><p>
  <em>“You won’t be laughing for long.  I’m going to make sure you go away for a very long time, in a very lonely place.”</em>
</p><p>Another laugh.  <em>“You think so?  This must be your first time outside of school, so I’m going to help you out on this one.  In the real Net, evidence is what puts people away.  So, you can take me in, get me frisked and scanned for evidence.  But it’s not my code they’ll find on Dot.  Is it?”</em></p><p>Dot’s fingers tightened around her mouth, the blood draining from her face.</p><p>
  <em>“I took a hit last night, and I know you were breathing in as much as I was.  And here you are, defending the honor of your damsel.  But she hasn’t filed a report, or else you’d have a warrant, and you didn’t file a report because all evidence would point to her being raped by you.”</em>
</p><p>The bile rose in her throat and she felt faint.  She closed her eyes to stop everything from spinning out of control.  There were the familiar sounds of a fight.  Then his terrible, sickening voice came through and her heart clenched as she heard someone struggle to breath.     </p><p>
  <em>“Now you listen carefully to me.  I could crush the life out of you right now, but I don’t need that kind of attention.  I like where I’m at in life, and you’re not going to ruin that for me, you little runt.  So, if you even think about trying to get me on rape charges, I’m going to spin this back on you so fast you won’t know which way is up.  You will be the disgrace of your kind, a living stain tarnishing the “impeccable” reputation of the Guardian Collective.</em>
</p><p><em>“And as for your little girlfriend,”</em> he hissed, and Dot froze, <em>“I’ll stir up such a media storm that she will never want to show her face in public again.  I will make her the embarrassment of this worthless little system, and every other measly backwater system on the Net.  Her brother will grow up in shame and her father will forever be mocked as a failure, in science and in fatherhood.”</em></p><p>A body landed hard on the ground, followed by hacking coughs.  Then, <em>“It’s your choice, boy.  Pretend to be an adult, if you want.  See where it gets you.  Here.  You need it more than me.”</em>  The sound of feet departing echoed through the speaker.  A nanosecond of silence, then a scream of anger.  </p><p>Dot opened her mouth to speak, but Bob’s ragged voice cut her off.  <em>“He’s right.  Even if I tell Dot the truth, if any word gets out about her association with him, he’ll come after her.”</em>  Glitch beeped, then, <em>“But they won’t go after him to keep her safe.  They’ll come after me.” </em></p><p>The pieces finally fell together, creating a dark and painful picture.  <em>Oh, Bob, why didn’t you tell me?</em></p><p>The line disappeared, the recording tucked back into Glitch’s database.  He waited, not saying anything.  He didn’t need to.</p><p>“He lied to protect me,” she whispered.  </p><p>
  <em>{Yes.}</em>
</p><p>“Then why would he lose his format?  It wasn’t his fault, you can prove that.”</p><p>
  <em>{Because he should have reported it as soon as he realized what had happened.  The Guardians could be lenient for him being drugged without his knowledge, but not for allowing a predator to remain on the loose.}</em>
</p><p>“But he was looking out for me!”</p><p>
  <em>{And he put the safety of one sprite over the safety of all.  A Guardian’s actions should always be done for the greater good.  ‘Mend and defend’ for all, not one.  That is why relationships are forbidden, Dot.  And that is why Bob will lose his format.  His judgement is skewed to favor you.  It always has been, since that night.  And he knows that.  So he’s putting an end to it.}</em>
</p><p>It was bittersweet, and it hurt so much she wanted to weep.  “All this time, I had no idea.”</p><p>
  <em>{No one did.  That was how he wanted it.}</em>
</p><p>She shook her head.  “But it’s not fair.  He shouldn’t be punished for that, not because of me.”  A trembling hand covered her eyes.  “User, it’s all my fault.”  </p><p>
  <em>{No, Dot.  It’s not all on you, or on Bob, or on anyone.  We all played a role that got us here, me included.  And now, if we don’t do something about it, we’re all going to pay a price.}</em>
</p><p>Dot swiped at the tears in her eyes and cleared her throat.  “What can I do?”</p><p>
  <em>{Stop him from going back to the SuperComputer and doing something basic.  Convince him he’s not alone in this anymore.  Be the friend he desperately needs right now.  He won’t listen to me, but maybe he’ll listen to you.}</em>
</p><p>“And maybe he won’t.  He’s got firewalls so thick even Megabyte couldn’t get through.”  She shook her head.  “You’ve been his companion longer than I’ve known him.  If you can’t get through to him, what makes you think I’ll have any luck?”</p><p>
  <em>{Because he cares for you more than he should.}</em>
</p><p>She froze as she read the words.  More than anything she wanted to believe him, wanted that validation she’d been seeking for so long.  But her wounds were still deep, bleeding and raw from her picking at the scabs all night long.  </p><p>Glitch seemed to detect her hesitation.  <em>{He doesn’t want you to know, because it’ll only hurt more in the end, for both of you.  And right or wrong, it was his secret, until you found the diary.}</em></p><p>Her eyes immediately went to her desk, where she’d thrown the offensive tablet on her return.  </p><p>
  <em>{Now his secret is yours, too.  His actions are going to affect your life, whether you want them to or not.  You should have a say in what happens.}</em>
</p><p>She looked between Glitch and the tablet.  Her teeth raked over her bottom lip as she considered Glitch’s words, and Bob’s - ‘<em>I won’t risk my purpose here.’</em>  “I might have a say, but it might not change anything.”</p><p>
  <em>{It might not.  Or it might save him.}</em>
</p><p>She glanced out the window as lightning flashed, her thoughts and feelings a similar raging storm.  Could she face him again?  More importantly, could she face the rejection again?  <em>It might save him. </em> He wouldn’t hesitate for her.  Why wouldn’t she do the same for him?</p><p>“Where is he now?”</p><p>
  <em>{He’s packing.}</em>
</p><p>Dot took a breath and pulled on a heavy hooded sweater.  “Then we better get over there before he finishes.”</p><p><em>{I think this is a conversation best left in private, or I might not survive the night.  So you’ll need this.}  </em>He displayed the access code to Bob’s apartment.</p><p>Dot nodded and swallowed, suddenly nervous.  “You can stay here, if you’d like.”</p><p>
  <em>{Thank you.}</em>
</p><p>A strong gust of wind rattled the windows.  She didn’t envy going back out there - or facing him again.  Only this time, she was better prepared.  She hoped.  </p><p>
  <em>{If it helps, he’s scared too.}</em>
</p><p>Dot chuckled despite the gravity of the night.  “I never would have believed him to be scared of anything.  He’s always been larger than life.  It’s so easy to forget he’s still a sprite under that uniform.”  She shook her head and repeated the words he told her earlier.  “He has his limits, too.”</p><p>The keytool clicked slowly.  <em>{Yes, he does.  And now that you mention it, there’s one more thing you should know…}</em></p><hr/><p>After three attempts with no answer, she used the access code and slipped into the apartment.  It was dark save for a light in the kitchen and beneath his bedroom door; the only sounds came from the storm outside.  Silently, she moved across the living room and peered into the kitchen.</p><p>It was empty.  She continued to the bedroom, listening outside the door.  When she heard nothing, she tapped softly.  “Bob?”</p><p>The door creaked open and she found the room empty.  A bag was half open at the foot of his bed, clothes haphazardly thrown in and miscellaneous items scattered around.  She heard a gasp and spun around.  The bathroom door was open, and she could make out Bob’s muscular shape behind the clear curtain.  Arms braced against the wall, his head hung low as the jets pounded down on him.  </p><p>Her mouth went dry.  She shouldn’t be here.  No matter how much she wanted to see him, now was not the time.  She forced herself to turn away, to wait in the kitchen until he was done, when something on the sink made her stop.  She craned her neck and her eyes widened.</p><p>The bottle of whiskey rested on a creased and worn picture.  Glitch had warned her, but still seeing his vice made everything so much more real.  Yet it wasn’t just the bottle that made her stomach twist.  Stepping as close as she dared, she reached down and pulled out the picture; one she’d never seen before, but recognized immediately.   It was at the Pub, and Bob was spinning her around on the dance floor.  She was laughing, her smile huge and full and her eyes closed in exaltation, as Bob danced with her.  His own face was full of happiness, his eyes sparkling as he held her close.  They were oblivious to the photographer, only aware of each other.  </p><p>They’d been so happy that night and the next second they were both miserable.  She glanced at the whiskey, and her heart ached to know she hadn’t been the only one with a hangover from that night.  How many other nights had he reached for comfort at the bottom of a bottle?  </p><p>It had to stop.  It would stop tonight.  She didn’t know what she would tell him or how to convince him to stay, but he wasn’t running from this anymore.  Returning the picture, she hesitated before taking a drink of whiskey.  She grimaced at the burn and the <em>clink</em> of the bottle as it tapped the faucet.  Her eyes shot up to the mirror, watching his reflection, but he didn’t move.  Relaxing, she eased out her breath and turned to leav</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The Fall</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span class="u">Bob</span>    </p><p>He turned the knob all the way to the left and gasped as the water turned to ice.  Soon his body shivered under the onslaught.  It was so cold it hurt, but it was the only way to keep him grounded, to stay away from those memories that beckoned him with growing urgency.  His muscles constricted and fought to keep his body warm, but the fantasies overpowered him.  His mind slowly slipped back to that night.</p><p>Not the night he fell for her.  Those memories were only for his weakest moments, when the alcohol flowed enough to drown his guilt.  No, he reached out for the safe times, when their friendship just teetered on something more; when he could pull back just before the scale tipped too far.  </p><p>And of all those near misses, it was the kiss that he returned to most…</p><p>
  <em>...he flew them back to the Diner, and she felt so good in his arms.  He laughed as the drink hit her system and made her uncharacteristically silly.  He tried to get her safely inside to sleep away the unfortunate turn of events.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And then she kissed him.  Threw herself into him and pinned him against the Diner with her delicious body.  She left fire everywhere she touched, her heat burning into his fingers, his chest, his lips.  It was too much for him.  In a moment of weakness, his lips parted under hers.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She tasted as sweet as he remembered, and he wanted so much more.  </em>
</p><p>The frigid water did nothing to douse the flames of his fantasy.  This time, he didn’t push her away.  This time he gave in... </p><p>
  <em>…and pulled her closer.  He chased after her tongue with his own, caressing it with swift strokes that mimicked what he wanted to do with his body.  She moaned and clung to him, begging for more with her thirsty kisses, and Bob lost himself in the feel of her soft curves under his wandering hands.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Her fingers wove into his hair, pulling his head closer.  She ground against him, trying to touch every part of his body with her own.  He spun them around, pressing her against the Diner wall, letting her feel his arousal.  She moaned deep in her throat at the contact, making his pulse race, and he was ready to take her right there-</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Clink!</em>
</p><p> His eyes flew open and he froze.  A hooded figure stood on the other side of the curtain.  Somebody was foolish enough to break into his apartment.  His eyes narrowed to slits.  If they thought he’d be vulnerable in the shower, they were in for a nasty surprise.  He tensed; every part of him attuned to the presence, ready to strike.    </p><p>The shadow moved.  Bob burst out through the curtain, snagging the intruder and slamming him back into the shower wall.  He forced his elbow in the sprite’s throat, pinning his head up into the freezing jet stream.  </p><p>Whether it was the whiskey or the adrenaline, it took Bob too long to hear her shout of surprise, feel the slenderness of her body, or see the flash of fear in her eyes as she choked against him.  “<em>Dot?!</em>”  He released her and she splashed down, coughing and sputtering.  He seized her waist and moved her away from the jet.  “What the Dell are you doing?!  I could have hurt you!”</p><p>“I came to talk to you,” she wheezed.  </p><p>“<em>Here?</em>  Seriously?!  I’m not exactly dressed for the occasion!” he snapped, both angry and embarrassed at her intrusion.</p><p>She looked up at him, a slight blush in her cheeks.  “Yeah, I noticed.”</p><p>The blood rushed straight to his groin.  He grit his teeth and dug his fingers into her hips, pushing her as far back from him as he could.  “This isn’t funny, Dot.”</p><p>“I’m not laughing, Bob,” she countered, her eyes and voice as serious as his.  “I didn’t come here planning to jump you in the shower, I just - I saw the picture.  Of us.”  </p><p>He tensed.  </p><p>“And now that I’m here...” she sighed.  “Glitch told me everything - wait, let me finish,” she rushed.  “And then you can throw me out if you want.”  She took his silence as agreement.  “Look, I was wrong.  About everything.  I get it now, why you did what you did.  And I’m here to tell you - no, to ask you - to stop punishing yourself for it.”</p><p>“I’m not,” he lied.  </p><p>She didn’t believe him.  “Right.  Because getting drunk is just a hobby.”</p><p><em>Shift.</em>  “You would know,” he said flatly.  It was a low blow, a defensive reaction to getting caught, and he knew it.  But he was in too deep.  He couldn’t back down now.  </p><p>She swallowed.  “Okay, I deserved that,” she said softly, surprising him.  “I’m sorry.  I’m trying to fix this, and I’m-”  At his confused stare, she took a breath.  “I know I’m in no position to ask anything of you.  But, don’t leave.  Please.  I don’t want you to lose your format.  I’ll never forgive myself.  If that means you never want to see me again, or speak to me again, then fine.  I’ll do it.  I’ll do anything to make this up to you.  Just… don’t leave.”</p><p> It was deja vu -...<em>don’t leave me!</em> - and it made his mouth go dry as he remembered her under him, begging him to stay.  And here she was again, eyes pleading with him and standing close enough to kiss, and she was still begging him.  His head bowed as he realized some things would never change.  “Dot, you don’t have to do anything.”</p><p>“But I do, Bob.  I got you into this mess.  Please, let me get you out.”</p><p>“You can’t.” </p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“I won’t let you.”  He could feel her questioning stare.  “You wouldn’t understand.”  He nearly gasped when her cold fingers touched his face, lifting his eyes to meet hers.  </p><p>“You really hate yourself that much?” she asked gently, her perceptiveness on point as always.  “Why?  I don’t.”</p><p>And she didn't.  He could see it in her eyes, could feel the warmth of her compassion in her gaze.  It chipped away at his walls, and the alcohol drowned out the voice of reason.  The hours of hiding had taken its toll, and he was tired of the secrets.  “You forgot that night," he said slowly.  "I didn’t.  I see it every second.  Every night in my dreams.  Every time I’m with you, when we talk, or laugh, or…” he trailed off as his eyes glanced at her lips.  “Even now, I can’t see you without seeing that night, without hearing your voice and remembering every detail.  And I can’t stop it… because I don’t want to.”</p><p>Her eyes widened.  </p><p>“You want to know why I hate myself?  Because it’s the closest I can ever get to you.  A memory of you, broken and desperate and <em>drugged</em>, and User, I would have set myself on fire for you that night if you’d asked.  And I can’t let go of it, because it’s all I have.  It’s all I can ever have.”</p><p>She shivered.  “Bob,” she whispered.  “You have me.”</p><p>“No.  You deserve better.”</p><p>She shook her head.  “You don’t get to decide that.”</p><p>“I do.  Because I can’t be with you.”</p><p>“I know,” she whispered, her eyes reflecting with heartache.  “I know the rules, Bob.  I’m not asking you to break them, or even bend them.  Because if anyone deserves to be a Guardian, it’s you.  Mainframe needs you.  Enzo needs you.  And they come first.”  </p><p>Her thumb rubbed against his cheek, and his eyes closed at the simple comfort.</p><p>“But if you ask me to wait, I’ll wait.  Until you leave Mainframe, until you change formats, until you’re one hundred and lying on your deathbed, I’ll wait for you.  If you want me to.”  She took a shivering breath.  “Or we end this tonight, and go our separate ways.  And if that’s what you want - what you truly want - I will accept it.  But you don’t get to tell me what to do with my heart.  It’s mine, to give away as I wish.”  Brazenly, she pressed her forehead against his.  “And when you’re ready for it, it’s yours.  Like it's always been.”</p><p>Her breath tickled his lips and he nearly lost it.  Her presence, her words, the whiskey coursing through his system, all hurdled him toward the edge; it was overwhelming and he fought desperately for control.  “Dot, I - I...” he breathed against her mouth.</p><p>“I know.  I love you, too.”</p><p>His eyes flew open, and she was there, looking at him with so much tenderness it warmed his body straight to his soul.  It wasn’t a fantasy.  She was there, telling him what he longed to hear every second.  She was inviting him in, ready to catch him.  All he had do was embrace the fall.</p><p>He knew he shouldn’t. He knew there would be no going back.  He knew nothing would ever be the same again.  But he was so tired.  He couldn’t hold on anymore.  He didn’t want to.  After hours of struggling, he let go.</p><p>He tilted his head and stole her lips.  </p><p>She gasped and moaned.  He pressed forward, gently walking her back to the wall.  The icy water hit her head, her body stiffening.  He moved into the stream, blocking her body with his.  The water stabbed him like so many needles but he was numb to the pain when her tongue met his.  </p><p>It was electric, and they both moaned at the intimate caress.  His hands moved up to her face, holding her as he rediscovered her mouth.  She tasted so good, her soft gasps and low moans sending sweet vibrations down his spine.  Her arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him closer, her fingers burning into his frozen back.  Blindly, he reached out and smacked the knob, the water quickly heating up around them.  </p><p>He hissed and arched his back as the water stung his abused skin.  Immediately, her lips trailed kisses along his jaw and down into the hollow of his neck.  Her tongue darted out and licked at the water dripping there.  His fingers tightened into the soaked material of her hoodie as her tongue danced across his skin.  Running his hands down her sides, they slipped under the hoodie to the bottom of her rib cage.  Her abs twitched under his thumbs tracing lazy circles in a slow tease on her toned stomach.  </p><p>She pressed a kiss to his collarbone and pulled back.  He looked down and her eyes were so serious staring into his, making him hesitate.  Her arms fell away, leaving him cold - until her hands grasped the bottom of her top.  Without breaking his gaze, she pulled the sooden hoodie up and over her head.  It landed on the floor with a wet plop, but Bob hardly noticed.  She kicked her shoes off, one at a time, and her hands moved to the waistband of her pants.  They trembled as she grabbed the material.  </p><p>Something felt wrong.  He stilled her hands.  She tensed and blushed.  “I forgot that night,” she whispered suddenly.  “You didn’t.”</p><p>He opened his mouth, the question on the tip of his tongue, when it hit him. He was reliving their first time, but for her, it was their first time.  She was nervous.  Bringing her hands up to his lips, he kissed them lightly.  “Too fast,” he said.  “We shouldn’t-”  </p><p>“No, wait,” she pleaded.  “Don’t send me away again.”</p><p>The words hit his heart.  He didn’t want them to rush into this, and she misunderstood him, but it shouldn’t have surprised him.  She expected him to push her away.  The longer he stared, the clearer he could see her conflicting emotions: the desire, the nervousness, the fear of rejection.  </p><p>Well, that wouldn’t do.  </p><p>Gently, he lifted her arms up and over his neck.  His fingertips trailed down her arms and her bare sides, making her breath catch.  He wound his arms around her slender waist, leaned forward to catch her lips once more, and he pulled her body into his.  She came willingly, her fingers tightening on the back of his neck.  He kissed her until the tension left her body.  Slowly, he lifted her and turned her into the spray.</p><p>Her head fell back with a gasp as the warm water cascaded over her cool skin.  She shivered again and sighed at the sensations.  His hands slid up her back and moved in slow circles over her skin, warming her up from the outside in.  His head dipped down and kissed her exposed neck, thrilling at the soft moans he drew from her.  </p><p>Bending her back, he moved further down the delicate skin of her sternum.  He peppered her with kisses and the occasional sweep of his tongue, each lick making her hands squeeze into his shoulders with delicious pressure.  His lips brushed over the tops of her bra, nearly see through and heaving under his administrations.  He pressed his tongue into the valley of her breasts, and licked up with deliberate slowness.</p><p>She bucked against him, and he groaned as she pressed against his desire.  Her fingers dug into his shoulders, and she moved against him again.  He tightened his grip around her waist, stilling her.  Looking up beneath his bangs, he saw her head back and mouth open, lost in the sensations.  As if feeling his stare, she looked at him through half-lidded eyes, heavy with desire.  Her tongue darted out, wetting her lush lips, and he chased after it.  His lips crushed up against hers.</p><p>Her fingers dug into his arms, legs buckling with the intensity of the kiss.  It overwhelmed her, drawing the most delicious sounds from her throat.  He pulled her close, his need for her undeniable.  She broke away for air and he latched his lips to her neck, needing to taste her again.  Any part, every part.  </p><p>ActiveX didn’t drug him that night.  Dot did.  The headiest addiction, the greatest high, and separation drove the worst withdrawal.  He didn’t deserve her, and he’d pay for it later.  His guilt would make sure of that.  But until then, she was there, hot blooded and wet, and she needed him.</p><p>He wouldn’t let her down again.  </p><p>Her hips bucked in anticipation, one leg coming up to wrap around his thigh.  He growled into her neck.  He reached under her knee and lifted her leg higher.  She arched her back, fingers digging into his shoulders.  He was so close to her now, but still not close enough.  His mouth trailed down her neck, tongue licking away each drop of water as he rediscovered her perfect body.  </p><p>She moaned, long and low.  His body tightened, all those noises slowly driving him mad, but he needed more.  She needed more.  She deserved it.  And he would deliver.</p><p>He lifted her up and moved her against the shower wall.  Releasing her leg, he gave her lips another bruising kiss and his fingers worked deftly at her bra.  It fell to the side, forgotten in an instant.  She tensed and he slowed his kisses, his tongue dancing languidly with hers.  </p><p>His hands rested on her waist, fingers still and waiting for her permission.  He’d waited this long, he knew he could wait forever if that’s what it took.  Slowly, she relaxed into him, and her hands moved over his.  She moved them up.</p><p>He followed her lead and bit his lips as his hands brushed the soft, heavy skin of her breasts.  She gasped and he groaned as they molded into his hands.  Gently, he moved over the sensitive skin, his thumbs teasing over the tips and drawing them to sharp points.  Her body moved with his, chasing after his hands as they moved.  </p><p>He pulled away to her groan of disappointment.  Swiftly, his lips caught her left breast, and she cried out as she arched into him.  His tongue swirled slowly around the skin, his tempo adjusting with the pace of her breaths.  He moved to the other breast and lavished it with equal attention.</p><p>Slowly, he pulled away from her chest and started down her body, kissing, licking, nipping the expanse of her smooth wet skin.  His tongue teased a circle around her belly button, and he delighted in the way her stomach tightened under his mouth.  He licked across the top of her soaked pants, and he looked up.</p><p>Her chest was heaving and she nodded, all nervousness gone.  He hooked his fingers into the waistband of her pants and her thin underwear beneath.  Gently, he pulled the material down over her slender hips, his stomach tightening in anticipation.  She held his shoulder as she stepped out with one foot, then the other.  Tossing the clothes aside, he settled to his knees and graced her with a mischievous smile.  He held her confused gaze as his tongue wet his lips, then he leaned forward and licked up her right thigh.  </p><p>She jumped and nearly cried out, her fingers digging back into the shower wall to hold herself up.  Wanting to make her squirm again, he paused at her left thigh, his mouth hovering over her tattoo.  Gently he traced its outline, delighting in her gasp.  One hand traveled down her outer thigh, cupping her at the knee and lifting her leg over his shoulder.</p><p>“Bob, wait, I - you don’t have to do this,” she stuttered, her voice breathless with renewed nerves.  </p><p>He chuckled up at her.  “Funny, you said the same thing last time.  I didn’t listen then, either.”  Her eyes widened, pupils darkening in sudden anticipation.  It thrilled him to no end.  </p><p>He licked, and she cried out in sweet pleasure.  Her fingers pulled hard against his hair, her control rapidly failing.  She moaned and panted and pressed herself against his tongue, completely unashamed by her behavior.</p><p>It was breaking Bob’s resolve faster than he could handle.  He pulled away before she came, a whimper falling from her.  She looked down at him, lip between teeth, eyes half closed and pleading for him to keep going.  He stood and commandeered her lips, kissing her with everything he had.  </p><p>He needed her.  He needed to be inside her.  He couldn’t wait any longer or he’d leave her behind.  And that was unacceptable.  He reached his hands under her and lifted her up, her legs nestled around his lean waist.  She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed against him, rubbing wantonly in a way he’d only dreamt about.  He pinned her against the wall and kissed her deeply.  He lined himself up, ready to thrust - and stopped.  </p><p>He tore his lips back and dropped his head to her shoulder.  He panted, body straining with need, but his heart wouldn’t let him go any further.  Fear, doubt, regret swelled up in his belly and he couldn’t do it.  He couldn’t ruin her again.</p><p>Fingers grazed his brow.  Her hand cradled his face and her lips brushed his ear.  She kissed there, tongue dancing lightly around the earlobe, her offering comfort this time to his hesitation.  He moaned at the touches, breathing harder with the exertion of holding back when he wanted to let go.  Then her voice, so soft, so kind.  “I trust you.”  She pulled his face to hers and kissed him so gently, he almost lost the strength to hold her.  </p><p>His heart broke and he filled her with one quick thrust.  She cried out, and he froze.  A throaty moan followed; her body bucked against his, grinding in all the right places.  Her lips sought his once more and she sucked on his tongue with a near desperation.  </p><p>He kissed her back and moved, slow and steady, then faster, the rhythm quickly falling away as the sensations overcame him.  But he couldn’t leave her behind.  She broke the kiss first, her head resting against his as she struggled to keep her breath.  Her eyes were closed, mouth open, cheeks flushed and lips plump with his bruising kisses.  She looked so beautiful; she always looked so beautiful.  And she settled for him.</p><p>He didn’t deserve her.  She let him love her anyway.  His mind flashed back to a moment just like this hours before, when he begged her for one thing, just one thing.  The thought pushed him to the edge.  He couldn’t hold back anymore.  But he couldn’t leave her behind.  Never again.</p><p>“Dot,” he breathed, his voice gruff with emotion he swore he’d never feel again.  Her eyes opened, the violet almost lost in the black of her pupils.  “I love you.”</p><p>Her face registered shock and he kissed her with everything he’d been hiding for those long, lonely hours, when she’d been close enough to touch and always out of reach.  He put his whole heart into that kiss, searing his love into her soul.  </p><p>She came with a scream, and he followed.  </p><p>When the world righted itself, Bob felt Dot’s skin hot under his forehead.  Her heart thundered in her chest and her panting breaths matched his.  Her hand moved up behind his neck and she pressed her lips against his hair.</p><p>“Did you mean it?” she whispered.</p><p>His breath paused.  Slowly, he lifted his head and looked at her.  Her face was flushed, her eyes dark and satiated but wary.  He realized what he’d done and knew there was no turning back.  “Yes,” he said softly.</p><p>Her brow furrowed, and she searched his eyes.  “Then why do you look so sad?”</p><p>She was so perceptive.  He pressed his forehead to hers, to hide from her eyes that saw down into his soul.  “I’m sorry,” he answered.  “I’m sorry for everything.  I never wanted to hurt you.”</p><p>“I know.  Glitch made that quite clear,” she said wryly.  He sighed, his head shaking slowly at the news.  “And I’m glad he did.  It’s time to stop blaming yourself.  But,” she said gently, her head pulling back to look him in the eye again, “no more secrets.  Okay?”</p><p>He looked down and nodded once.  “I promise.”  And he would keep that promise… one second.</p><p>She pulled his face close and kissed him lightly, the soft touch drawing a low moan from him.  He felt himself responding to that touch, the high slowly building again.  Then his arms trembled, the adrenaline rush long gone.  Without breaking the kiss, he set her down and wrapped his arms around her back.  </p><p>She shivered, and he pulled away.  He nodded his head toward the towels and she smiled.  She stepped out, curling an oversized towel around her shoulders.  He turned off the water and grabbed the other towel, wrapping it low on his hips.  Her eyes met his in the mirror.</p><p>Dot’s mouth turned up at the corner, the smallest smile breaking through.  She hung her towel and walked out of the bathroom, her bare bottom making Bob bite his lip.  He was surprised it hadn’t started bleeding yet.  He followed her out and just caught her walking into his closet.  He leaned against the wall, arms crossed as he waited.</p><p>She stepped out wearing one of his shirts.  It was large on her, stopping mid-thigh.  She glanced up at him and blushed, smoothing the shirt out.  That small smile ghosted across her perfect lips again.  She reached in the closet and pulled something out, tossing them to him.  He looked down at a pair of cotton sleep pants.</p><p> He glanced up and her blush deepened.  It made his mouth go dry.  He went back in the bathroom and changed, catching a glimpse of himself before he went out.  He smoothed his silver strands back and noticed his own cheeks were the slightest pink.  </p><p>What was he, 12?  </p><p>He shook his head and turned the light off.  The bedroom was dark except for the night light by his bed.  The rain continued to patter lightly against the window, its repetitive tapping oddly comforting.  He looked at the bed and Dot was sitting up, the covers already wrapped across her legs.  Her face was half hidden in the shadows, the night light falling just short of her chin.  It disappointed him; he couldn’t see if that blush had spread.  But the way he felt her eyes on him pretty much answered that.</p><p>She lifted her arm and beckoned him over.  He approached slowly, his body warming despite the cool night air.  He slipped his hand into hers and let her pull him down on the bed.  He moved the covers over them and she turned the light out.  Without a sound, she settled down into the soft sheets and pressed her back into his chest.  She grabbed his arm and pulled it across her waist.  His hand came up to her lips and she kissed the knuckles gently.</p><p>He squeezed his arm across her waist, pulling her as close to him as he could, no part of him without a part of her.  His lips brushed her bare neck and she shivered.  He smiled and kissed the delicate skin again, rewarding him with another shiver and soft moan.  </p><p>Then exhaustion washed over him, and Bob drifted into his first peaceful sleep since the night he left Mainframe.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. The Choice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Dot</span>
</p><p>A crash of thunder roused Dot from sleep.  Her breath caught, the sounds and sensations of the room unfamiliar and disorienting her.  Then Bob’s scent filled her nose and she pressed her face further into the pillow.  She reached out for him and frowned as she found empty space.  Her eyes opened.  The sheets were cold.  She leaned up and found him standing by the window, watching the storm beyond.  </p><p>Lightning flashed, a long bolt illuminating his form.  She sat up straight, the sheets silently slipping from her.  He didn’t move, gave no indication he knew she was awake.  Another bolt streaked by.  She saw him clearly, arms crossed and an expression so serious, she almost didn’t recognize him.  Her heart pounded, fingers grasping the covers like a lifeline.  “What’s wrong?”</p><p>He looked up in surprise.  Another bolt crossed the sky and his face was neutral once again.  “You should be sleeping.”</p><p>“So should you… unless I’m making you uncomfortable.  I can go,” she offered.</p><p>He moved beside the bed, tapping her legs to give him room.  He sat next to her and turned on the light.  She blinked at the brightness and her eyes settled on his bare chest.  A blush crept into her cheeks.</p><p>“Who’s making who uncomfortable now?” he teased with a small smile</p><p>Dot laughed softly and rubbed her forehead.  “My body won’t stop betraying me.”</p><p>He reached out and pulled her hand away from her face, kissing the palm.  “I’ll take that as a compliment.”</p><p>She bit her lip.  “Then you’re not sorry about tonight?” </p><p>He stared at her, something working behind his brown eyes.  He slowly shook his head.  “No,” he said softly.  </p><p>“…But?” </p><p>He sighed.  “I’m trying to figure out what to do next.”</p><p>She turned her hand in his and grasped it firmly.  “You don’t have to do it alone.  We can figure it out together.”</p><p>He smiled and looked down.  “That’ll take some getting used to.”  His thumb traced circles on her hand, sending small shivers down her spine.  “I think I need to go back to the SuperComputer,” he said quietly.</p><p>“Why?” she asked and winced at the sharpness in her tone.  He looked at her and she reddened again.</p><p>“To tell Turbo the truth, and to resign.”</p><p>“No, Bob, it wasn’t your fault!”  He squeezed her hand and she stopped. </p><p>“Not about that night,” he clarified.  “The truth about now.  I’m compromised.”</p><p>She swallowed.  “Putting the safety of one sprite over the safety of all?” she repeated Glitch’s words.  He nodded once, and she scoffed.  “Great.  I came over here to stop you from losing your format, and all I did was re-enforce you to go.  I wouldn’t blame you if you regret me ever setting foot-”</p><p>Bob cupped her face and pulled her in for a kiss that left her breathless.  When he released her lips, he rested his forehead against hers.  “I will never regret this night, or you, or wherever this goes.  I love you,” he said firmly.  “And that’s what scares me.  Because if I had to choose between you or the system - any system, the whole spammed Net…”  He leaned back and gazed into her eyes, his thumb tracing over her skin.  “Dot, I couldn’t make the right choice.  Because I don’t want to lose you.”</p><p>His voice sounded so sad her heart cracked.  For the first time, she saw him questioning his own abilities and the convictions that once seemed so clear.  And it was her fault.  “I’m so sorry.  User above, I wish I’d never found that stupid diary.”</p><p>“Whether you found that thing or not, I’d still be in this position.”</p><p>“But it was because of me you were going to leave in the first place!”</p><p>“No, Dot.  I’ve been struggling with this since that night.”  His fingers brushed back a stray strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear.  “I told myself over and over again that it wasn’t real, that my mind tricked my heart into believing a lie.  But I loved you the morning after, and every morning after that, and it never went away.  And when I had a chance to come back here,  I knew I would rather spend the rest of my life near you, as only a friend, than to never see you again.</p><p>“I sealed my fate when I took this post.  I knew it was a risk, but I thought if I kept my distance, I could make that choice.  Now I know I was only fooling myself.”</p><p>“But why do things have to change?” she asked.  “You’ve already lived with this for so long.”</p><p>“It’s not just my secret anymore.  It’s one thing for me to lie to User and System; I can’t ask you to do the same.  I can be with you or I can be a Guardian.  But I can’t be both.  Not anymore.  Not now.”  </p><p>All signs of the energetic, fun loving Bob were gone, replaced by a quiet, contemplative sprite she’d never seen before.  Even in the most dire situations, he’s always had a flippant attitude, as if nothing could unsettle him.  Now, he was steady in his resignation. </p><p>“You’re serious.”  He nodded once.  “Bob, no.  You can’t end it, not like this.  You love it too much.  And what would you do?  Who would you be if not a Guardian?”  She shook her head.  “No, there has to be another way.  You can’t give this up, I’d never forgive myself.”</p><p>“I can’t give you up,” Bob said softly.  “Not again.  I’d never forgive <em>myself</em>.”  </p><p>She pulled her knees up to her chest and dropped her head between them.  She took a breath and struggled against the pain blooming in her chest.  “So, if you go to the SuperComputer, then what?”</p><p>“Turbo will tell me my options, then he’ll take my request to the Guardian Council for a final vote.”</p><p>She turned just enough to peek up at him over her arms.  “Options?”</p><p>He rubbed at the back of his neck.  “Well, yeah.  Resigning is one, or he might transfer me out of the system until I can be officially released from my contract.  Or he might tell me to stay and finish out my time here, no matter what I’m feeling.”</p><p>“Could he do that?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“Is that so bad?”</p><p>“Being stuck here with you?”  He laughed as she blew a raspberry at him.  “It would be hard.  Probably the hardest of all,” he said honestly.  “Because if I get caught, there will be consequences.”</p><p>“Caught… like tonight?”  She looked around, suddenly nervous.  “Do I need to go?”</p><p>He shook his head.  “I think it’s a little late for that, don’t you?  Besides, no one knows you’re here, except for Glitch, and he would never tell.  But,” he sighed, “being out together, that’ll be risky.”</p><p>She pressed her lips together.  She hadn’t thought about that, but he was right.  Now that she had him, she realized in truth, she didn’t.  Not yet.  But wouldn’t it be better than not seeing him at all?   She wasn’t so sure.  “What do you think he’ll choose?”  </p><p>“I don’t know.  It’ll depend on a lot of things.  And who knows?  Maybe he’ll give us his blessing and send me back here with a fruit basket.”</p><p>“But not likely.”</p><p>Bob chewed on his lip.  “No.”</p><p>“And if you go to another system?  How long would you be gone?”  Bob glanced at her and his eyes already answered her question.  “That long?”</p><p>“I really don’t know, Dot.”</p><p>She nodded her head and rested her forehead in her hand.  “And all because I didn’t listen to you.”  She noticed his frown.  “You told me not to ask you why we couldn’t be together.  And I didn’t listen, because I thought I knew better than you, and I knew we were meant to be together, and of course, it couldn’t be that bad, right?”  She scoffed behind her hand.  “I’m so basic”</p><p>“Dot.”  Bob’s voice deepened with seriousness.  “It’s not because of you.  It will never be your fault; do you understand that?  If you want someone to blame, blame the Collective and their rules, or blame me.  I put us into this mess that first night, and I’ve only dug us in deeper.”</p><p>She shook her head.  “No, <em>I</em> put us into this mess, when I trusted someone dangerous.  You did your job, and you followed your calling.”  Her eyes dropped from his.  “And look what it’s cost you.”</p><p>“Look at what it gave me,” Bob answered softly.   “You.”  He cocked a smile, pointing his thumbs at himself.  “Winning!”</p><p>She tried not to laugh and failed.  “You’re random, you know that?”</p><p>“I’ve heard.”</p><p>She touched his cheek.  “This is it, then?  Gamble on Turbo for a favorable outcome, and live with the results?”</p><p>He took a breath.  “Do I have any other options?”</p><p>She smiled sadly, already knowing the answer.  “Whatever happens, I’m behind you one hundred percent.”</p><p>“I’d rather you be beside me.”  She blushed, and he chuckled.  “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that.”</p><p>“Even when you can’t guard a system anymore?”</p><p>He pressed his hand against hers.  “As long as I have you, none of that matters.”</p><p>The seriousness in his eyes made her cheeks burn again.  “Well, then I guess you should know, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of you making me blush.”</p><p>“Challenge accepted,” he replied, voice husky.  </p><p>The soft baritone rolled over her like a heatwave and her blush spread across her body.  She pressed her hand over his heart, butterflies jumping in her stomach when he intertwined his fingers over hers.  Her other hand laid flat on his chest and she pressed him back down onto the bed.  He went willingly, smiling as her lips descended on his.  His arms wrapped around her back and pulled her tight against him.  She purred into his kiss, deepening it as she settled across his hips.</p><p>“WARNING: INCOMING GAME.”</p><p>His head fell back into the covers with a groan.  “Oh, come on.”</p><p>“At least it didn’t drop during the shower,” Dot chuckled as she rolled off him.</p><p>“Yeah, that would have been very bad.”  He sat up and ran to the bathroom for his icon.  </p><p>“Do you want me to-?” Dot called out to him.  </p><p>“No, I’ve got this one.  Was Glitch at your place?”  </p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“Then he’ll meet me there.”  He stepped out, uniform donned.  She gave him an appreciative once over, and he smiled.  “You should go back to sleep.”</p><p>She squeezed the covers around her.  “Only if you come back to join me.”  His gaze darkened with anticipation and she shivered.  She brushed a kiss across his lips.  “Be careful.”</p><p>“Always.  I’ll catch you later.”</p><p>“I’ll be around.”  </p><p>He jogged out of the room, and she spotted his form zip away toward the game descending over G-Prime.  She gnawed on her lip as she looked around the silent bedroom.  The chrono read 0423, a very short time before dawn.  She knew Enzo wouldn’t be back anytime soon… but Bob might not be, either.  </p><p>And after their conversation, she didn’t think being spotted leaving his apartment would be a good idea.  Pulling her clothes from the dryer, she grabbed an extra jacket with a large hood from his closet.  She typed a quick memo on the notepad by the bed, then turned off the lights and snuck quietly out into the street, back to her apartment.</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The Threat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Bob</span>
</p><p>He tried not to stare at the chrono on the wall, but there was nothing else to do.  He’d sat on the bench for nearly a microsecond, then casually walked the hallway, staring at the pictures of previous graduations.  He stopped for a long nano at his own, eyes scanning over the faces of all those who made it with him.  He smiled at Cardon, his roommate, and Cache, his final project partner.  They were good friends, supportive in every aspect – and tolerant of his wild idea to change the Collective’s views on viral deletion.  </p><p>He frowned.  Those ideas were his motivation for doing so well, to do something greater than just protecting one system, but all systems.  They were his springboard into a new movement at the Academy, one that would hopefully reduce the violence against Guardians and citizens.  But as he looked at the faces of those mentors who helped his graduating class, one face was noticeably absent.  </p><p>Dixon was the first casualty of his ambitious ideas.  Dot was, in a way, the second.  And now, he was the third.  Depending on how Turbo saw it…</p><p>He glanced at the time again, wondering what could keep the Prime Guardian tied up for so long.  It wasn’t like him to be late for an appointment.  Honestly, the waiting was making it worse.  He’d thought he was nervous when his request for a meeting with Turbo was approved – instantaneously, which was odd in itself – but the longer he had to figure out what he wanted to say, the more he stumbled in his head.  </p><p>What if Turbo said no?</p><p>What if Turbo said <em>yes</em>?</p><p>A rapid cadence echoed down the hall, and he realized his fingers were taping in an annoying rhythm.  He stopped and took a breath.  He needed to relax, or he was going to go in there and just lay all the cards down on the table, spam the consequences.  A small part of him liked the idea.  He could unload the burden of every secret he’d been carrying, and finally breathe.</p><p>But that thrill of freedom quickly evaporated, an option he could never go through with.  Not at the risk of losing her.  Not after he finally…  His eyes closed as he remembered the night before.  He expected to feel guilt for falling, and instead, felt peace in the memories.  Because in those memories, she was safe.  She was happy.  She loved him and he loved her back and the rest of the system was silent and unheeded.  Just picturing her there –  sleeping next to him, of her own accord and not under the influence of anything but a diary – eased the anxiety in his mind.  He felt at peace, knowing whatever happened, she would be there when he got back.  </p><p>“Bob?”</p><p>His eyes opened and he was back outside the Prime Guardian’s office.  Turbo was staring at him from the open doorway, lips quirked in a sideways smile.  “Welcome back to the SuperComputer,” he joked.</p><p>Bob smiled and stood up.  “Just catching a catnap while I waited.”  He accepted Turbo’s handshake.</p><p>“Yeah, sorry about that.  Things are heating up around the Net.  I was going to call you in, but you beat me to the punch.”  He waved Bob into the office and closed the door.  </p><p>“You were going to contact me?” he asked in confusion.  “What for…?”  His words trailed off as he realized they weren’t alone.  </p><p>“Bob, I want to introduce you to Ana, Guardian 827.”</p><p>She turned in her chair and stood up, smiling gently at Bob.  She was tall, almost the same height as him, with short black hair pulled back into a simple ponytail.  Her blue eyes were set perfectly in the soft features of her face, her demeanor calm and friendly.  But something in the intensity of her gaze made it clear she was not one to be taken lightly.</p><p>She held out her hand.  “Hi, Bob.  It’s such an honor to finally meet you.  I’ve been looking forward to this ever since Turbo brought me in.”</p><p>He shook her hand, noting the strength in her grip.  “Hello.”  He looked over at Turbo, and back at her.  “Brought you into what?”</p><p>Turbo leaned back against his desk.  “Mainframe’s reformatting project.”</p><p>Bob’s eyes widened.  “I thought you were keeping that classified.”  He looked at Ana.  “No offense.”</p><p>“It is still classified and will remain so until the project succeeds or fails.  But, we have a problem.”  He turned and grabbed a file off his desk.  “There are rumors of a SuperVirus gaining momentum in the dark parts of the Net,” he handed Bob the file.  “We haven’t been able to locate a live trace; if the virus is smart enough, it may be jumping from place to place and setting up sleeper cells.  But, we have reason to believe it is a true virus, and a powerful one.”  </p><p>Bob scanned the notes, frowning at the inconsistent reports and not liking the huge amounts of dying or dead strains located across the Net, leaving a trail that went nowhere.</p><p>“What are you thinking?” Ana asked.</p><p>He glanced up at her.  “If this is real, it’s like something shedding its skin.  Trying out different strains and mutating before it even has a chance to do anything.”  He frowned at Turbo.  “I’ve never heard of anything like that.”</p><p>“No one has.  The SuperViruses we have on file all started out low level, and powered up over time or from an unplanned event.”</p><p>“Like Kilobyte, and Gigabyte,” Ana offered.  “Take away the power source and it reverts back to its downgraded version.”</p><p>“Exactly," Turbo said.  "So, if this one is mutating under its own power-”</p><p>“How do we take away its power and keep it from upgrading?” Bob answered.  </p><p>“And that’s why we need the reformatting program.”  </p><p>The pieces fell together.  “If this is a new kind of Virus using its own power to upgrade, remove the strain to stop it in its tracks.”  Bob handed back the folder with a sigh.  “It’s a good idea, in theory.”</p><p>“We need to make this theory a reality, or we might have a bloody war on our hands,” Turbo countered.</p><p>“Well, I wish I could bring you better news about the program,” Bob said as he crossed his arms.  “But I haven’t been able to get it to work yet.  The data keeps falling out because the viral strains aren’t steady.  I need to find the exact frequency of the reformat upload that matches the frequency of the strain.”</p><p>“Have you had any success?” Ana asked.</p><p>“Only with lab samples, contained and dying.  The strains need to be almost frozen in their energy to allow the program to replicate the data without the strain, then destroy the strain and leave the clean data intact.  Because the virals energy levels are constantly fluctuating between infections, I haven’t been able to pin down a frequency long enough to apply it.  And if the frequencies don’t match, the viral strain automatically recognizes the threat, attacks it, and destroys the program.”  </p><p>Ana turned to Turbo with a smile.  “That’s better news than we expected.”</p><p>Bob frowned.  “How is that good news again?”</p><p>Turbo chuckled.  “Ana specializes in data analysis.  Her graduation project focused on the theory of reformatting data down at the nano level.  This could increase resistance of malware viruses in data sprites, or-”</p><p>“Reformat viral strains,” Bob said with appreciation.  Ana smiled at the praise, her lilac cheeks turning the slightest pink.  </p><p>“It’s just a theory, and most of it came out of your work.  A lot of things just needed to be updated to the current, uh, times…” she trailed off as she realized how that sounded.  </p><p>Bob laughed.  “That’s okay, it’s not like I’m the oldest sprite in the room.”</p><p>“Getting back on topic,” the Prime Guardian cleared his throat, “considering the current threat and the urgency to have every means to fight it, I’m assigning Ana to assist you with getting the project online.  Since this is still classified, officially she’s going as a mentee before being assigned a permanent system.  I expect her to report immediately so you both can get to work.”</p><p>It caught Bob by surprise, and it must have shown.  “Something wrong, Bob?” the Prime Guardian asked.  </p><p>“No,” Bob shook his head, “that was just… sudden.”  </p><p>“We have no time to waste.  Unofficial sightings are coming in every second, and citizens are starting to get nervous.”  His phone rang and he pardoned himself to answer it.</p><p>“I hope you’re okay with this.”  Ana tucked a bang behind her ear.  “I wasn’t trying to jump your project or anything, I promise.  I’m just going to try to figure out the data issues.  I’m not trying to take it away.”</p><p>Bob shook his head.  “I wasn’t even worried about that.  Like I said, it was just a surprise.”</p><p>“Yeah, Turbo was surprised when you wanted to meet him.  It was perfect timing.”  Her head tilted to the side.  “Is everything okay in Mainframe?”</p><p>Bob kept his face neutral.  “Yeah, just two viruses and your average stream of games.  Nothing special.”  </p><p>“What about that power surge with Gigabyte?  Did you ever figure out what that was?”</p><p>“Not yet,” he said slowly.</p><p>She seemed to pick up his hesitation and put up her hands.  “I’m not trying to pry.  Turbo said there was a possible Web breach, but since there’s been no activity since, we thought it was a false alarm.  He’s just been filling me in on everything going on.”</p><p><em>Calm down, dipswitch.  She’s on your side.</em>  Bob relaxed.  “No, that’s good.  You need to be informed.  Sorry, I’m just used to working alone.”</p><p>She nodded.  “I get it.  I’m a loner, myself.  Data analysis isn’t exactly glamorous in this line of work.”  She ran her fingers through her ponytail.  “I know you don’t know me yet, but I promise, you can trust me.  We’ll make this project work.”</p><p>As he watched her, he found himself hoping she was right.  If they got the project online, not only could they have a chance at stopping a possible SuperVirus, but Bob might be able to request the termination of his format with little hassle.  It just meant waiting longer to get what he wanted.  </p><p>Then again, there was the increased risk of getting caught.  Ana said he could trust her, but he didn’t know that yet.  Especially not with something as serious as Dot.  </p><p>He swallowed as he thought of her.  She was waiting for him to come back with news about the Collective’s decision.  He had no idea how she’d react to coming back with another Guardian.  But maybe, just maybe, he could turn over Mainframe to Ana when everything was said and done.  He’d have to see how she performed under pressure, but already he had a good feeling about her.  There was a vibe about her, an energy she kept tightly under control.  He suspected she was a force to be reckoned with in the heat of the moment.  </p><p>Turbo hung up the phone.  “I need to meet with the Council to discuss reconnaissance in the dark Net, to see if we can get a confirmed visual on this threat.  Are you good to go?”</p><p>Ana nodded and Bob said, “I have no objections.”</p><p>Turbo nodded then paused.  “I almost forgot.  What was it you wanted to see me about?”</p><p> Bob glanced at Ana then shook his head.  “It was nothing important.  Just career options, after the project is complete.”</p><p>Turbo smiled.  “Is this about that promotion?”</p><p>“Promotion?” Ana clapped her hands in excitement.  “I didn’t hear about that!”</p><p>Bob ducked his head under the sudden attention.  “In a way, yes.  But the project needs to come first, especially if this thing out there is real.”</p><p>“Bob, if you get the project up and running, you get the pick of whatever assignment you want next.”  He pointed at Ana.  “And you get runner up.”</p><p>“Deal!”  She turned to Bob.  “When do we leave?”</p><p>Bob shrugged.  “Whenever you’re ready.”</p><p>“I’ll grab my bag and meet you at the portal room.  Sir.”  She gave him a sharp salute and quickly departed with the Prime Guardian’s permission.</p><p>“Is everything ok, Bob?”</p><p>He looked at Turbo in surprise.  The older sprite didn’t miss a thing.  “Yeah.  This wasn’t how I planned the discussion going.”</p><p>“I know, and I’m sorry to drop it on you.  But there’s no one else I trust more to give us a leg up on this Virus.  And we need to move quickly, because I’m afraid this thing might spread like wildfire when it catches.”</p><p>Bob understood.  Duty first.  It was as good of an outcome as he was going to get.  Now he just had to get Dot on board… “We won’t let you down.”</p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The place was as seedy as a dive could get.  Sprites and binomes looking to avoid the light of day were settled into their favorite places, sipping on cheap beer and grumbling about the unfairness of life.  The mood was appropriate: there was no small talk in this place, no casual meetings or first dates.  Occupants kept to their own, not even bothering to acknowledge the brawl that broke out in the corner.  The most interest it garnered was the occasional lifting of drinks to avoid spillage as bodies were thrown around the room.  </p><p>No one would care he was here, or who he came to see.  As long as he kept to his business, they would keep to theirs.  Spotting an empty table in the corner, he waved to the bartender for a draft and took the seat against the wall.  He scanned the crowd, searching for his contact.  </p><p>The drink came with a pretty young sprite, her clothes short and tight and hugging all the right places.  She dropped it off and looked at him, not missing the way his eyes trailed over her body.  “You lookin’ for a good time?”  Her voice was low and soft, and the words rolled off her tongue like warm honey.  </p><p>“Always.  You know a place?”</p><p>“The party never stops in G-Prime.”  Her lips spread in a dark smile.  “If you’re into that kinda thing.”</p><p>The beer paused halfway to his lips.  “I thought you’d be a male,” he responded quietly.</p><p>“Most males do, but I haven’t heard a complaint yet.”  She sat across from him and crossed her long legs.  The skirt stopped just at the top of her thighs, slowly riding higher as she moved.  “Eyes up here, cowboy.  Let’s talk business.”  She settled back and pulled out a cigarette.  “What are you offering?”</p><p>Straight to business.  He liked it.  “Bob’s head on a platter.”</p><p>Her eyes shot up over the lit match. She took a puff and waved the match out.  “That’s quite a boast.  And a stretch of the imagination.  He’s resilient.”</p><p>“I have information that won’t just damage him; it’ll destroy him.”</p><p>She considered his words.  “Let’s say you’re right.  Make one Guardian go away, another one shows up.  Bob is a nuisance, and he ruins our plans for system takeover more often than we’d like to admit.  But he has a weak spot: he doesn’t delete.  That means a lot to our survival.  Bring in another Guardian, we might not get so lucky.”  She took a slow drag.  “And that’s not beneficial to us.”</p><p>“What if I could get you a deal?”</p><p>Her eyes narrowed.  “What kind of a deal?”</p><p>“One where your survival would be secured, indefinitely.  You only have to play along.”</p><p>“I’m going to need more than that to be impressed.”</p><p>“The end of Guardian protection in Mainframe.”  He drank long and slow, watching the wheels turn behind her eyes.</p><p>“That could never happen.  The SuperComputer won’t allow it.  The Mainframers-”</p><p>“Have a right to say who serves them – or doesn’t.  The SuperComupter can't stop the majority vote.”</p><p>She whistled.  “That sounds ambitious.”</p><p>“Go big or go home, that’s what my dear sweet Mother used to say.  I’d hate to disappoint her.”</p><p>“And what do you want?”</p><p>He looked over her suggestively, took a sip, and answered.  “Protection.  I’m sure I don’t need to explain why.”</p><p>She took a breath and put out her cigarette.  “Where can I find you?”</p><p>He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card.  “I’m staying here.  Room number on the back to call me directly.”</p><p>She tucked the card into her shirt, just over her heart.  “If you don’t hear from me in twenty-four microseconds, he’s not interested.”</p><p>“Then I expect to hear from you soon.”</p><p>She stood up and smiled, her full lips pouting just right to make him squirm.  “Ambitious and arrogant.  Megabyte will like that.”</p><p>“And you?”</p><p>Her tongue darted out, and she smacked her lips together.  “Maybe.  But I’ve seen plenty of your kind before.  Most fall short of my expectations.”</p><p>“Come see me with his answer and you’ll find there’s nothing short about me.”</p><p>She laughed, low and throaty, and threw some bitcoins on the table.  Turning away slowly, she sauntered off through the dim lights and smoke, her hips swaying.  “See you around, Don.”</p><p>Yes, she would.  Whether she wanted to or not.  Because he enjoyed the thrill of the hunt.  And he didn’t like being denied what he wanted.  He drank his beer slowly, savoring the taste.  Just as he would savor the taste of Bob’s end.  And then Dot’s.</p><p>It was good to be back in Mainframe.  </p><p> </p>
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